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SKETCHES

RESIDENCE AND TRAVELS

BRAZIL,

EMERACIN8
HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF THE EMPIRE
AND ITS SEVERAL PROVINCES.
BY
DANIEL P. KIDDER.
IN TWO VOLUMES — WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
VOL. II.

PHILADELPHIA:
SORIN & BALL.
LONDON : WILEY & PUTNAM.
1845.

Enteked, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1845, by
SORIN & BALL,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, of the
Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Stekeotyped by J. CD. Christman & Co.
T. K. & P. G. Collins, Printers.

CONTENTS OF VOL. II.

CHAPTER I.
Communication between Rio de Janeiro and the river Amazon. —
Preparations for a Voyage. Embarkation and Departure. — Cape
Frio. — Wreck of the Thetis. — Macahe. — Campos. — St. Sebastian
Steamer. — Captain. — Passengers. — Espirito Santo. — Rio Doce. —
Abrolhos. — Land rout to Bahia. — Prince Maximillian. — Condition
of the Country. — Entrance to Bahia. — The Lower Town. — Lack
of Carriages. — Carrier Negroes. — Cadeiras.— Site of Bahia. — Upper
Town. — Excursion to Rio Vermelho.— Public Cemetery. — Whale
Fishery. — English Chapel. — Public Buildings of the City. p. 9
CHAPTER n.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF BAHIA.
Discovery of the Bay. — Foundation of the City. — Caramuru. — The
Capital of Portuguese America. — Attacks of the Dutch. — A Slide.
— A Pestilence. — Selection of a Patron Saint. — A Mutiny quelled
by the Wafer. — Gipsies. — The Pillory. — Monasticism. — The
Slave Trade. .... - 28
CHAPTER III.
Transfer of the Capital. — Arrival of Don John VI. — Carta Regia. —
First Printing Press. — Public Library. — Steam Sugar-Mill. — -Exe
cution of a Priest. — Civil War of 1822. — War of Independence. —
Expulsion of the Portuguese. — Rebellion of 1837. — Second en
trance to Bahia. — Festivities of the Emperor's Birth-day. — Te
Deum. — Illumination. — Excursion up the Bay. — Beauties of Bahia.
— Henry Martyn.— Fire-works. - - - - 47
CHAPTER IV.
American Cemetery. — Image Factories. — Ecclesiastical Establish
ment. — Franciscan Monks. — Miraculous Image. — Promotion of
St. Anthony. — Benedictines. — Carmelites. — Nunneries. — Reeolhi-

IV CONTENTS.
mentos — Capuchins.— Missionary Enterprise.— Comments of the
Archbishop.— Examination in Logic. -Style of Argumentation.—
Visit to a Nunnery.— Dissemination of Scriptures. — Bethel Service.
—Commerce.— Slave Trade.— Excursion to Bom-Fim. 66
CHAPTER V.
Voyage resumed. — Province of Sergipe. — River S. Francisco. — Har
bor of Maceio.— The People.— The Buildings.— Dress.— Employ
ments.— Cemetery.— Commerce.— Printing Presses. — Revolution.
— Insecurity of Life. — Inefficiency of Law. — Lack of Justice. —
Moral and Religious Necessities.— The Bible in Maceio.— Conver
sation on ship-board. — Wonder-working Medal. - - 89
CHAPTER VI.
Departure from Maceio. — Republic of the Palmares.— Appearance
of Pernambuco and Olinda.— Statistics of the former.— Tall Houses.
— View from the Observatory. — The Reef. — District of San Pedro.
— The Bridge. — Its Shrines. — San Antonio. — Boa Vista. — Other
Suburbs.— The Festas. - - 111
CHAPTER VII.
Excursion to Suasuna. — Original Boundaries of the Province. — Early
History. — Dutch Wars. — Revolution of 1817-of 1824.— Manoel
Carvalho. — .Confederation of the Equator. — Recent quiet and
prosperity. — The 7th of September. - . 131
CHAPTER VIII.
State of Religion. — Church of San Joze. — Festas. — Novenas. — Sebas-
tianists. — Enchanted Kingdom of Pianco.— Slaughter of Innocents.
— Fanaticism. — The Bible in Pernambuco. — Zeal of a Padre in
its Distribution. — River passage to Olinda. — Appearance and con
dition of that City. — Botanical Garden. — Decay of Public Edifi
ces. — Panorama. — Melancholy Suggestions. — Law University. —
The Prison and the Palace. ... 146
CHAPTER LX.
Voyage to Itamaraca.— Canoe and Canoeiros.— Arrival at the Island.
First Impressions— The Hammock.— Customs of the People.—
Slavers.— Footsteps of St. George.— Fisheries.— Theatricals.—
Image Worship. — Cocoa Grove. — Fruits of the Island. — Salt
works.— Early Importance. — Subsequent Misfortunes of the

CONTENTS. V
Island. — Barra de Catuama. — Distribution of Tracts and Scrip
tures. — Habits of the Islanders. .... 159
CHAPTER X.
Embarcation upon a Jangada. — Manner of Navigation. — The Coast.
— Tambaiu. — Colloquy with a School-boy. — Walk to Parahiba. —
Feast of the Patron Saint. — Fire-works. — The City. — State of So
ciety in the Sertoens. — Distribution of Scriptures. — Franciscan
Convent. — Miracle. — A Friar. — Monasticism. — A Clerical Epi
cure. — Utility of War. — Province of Parahiba. - - 176
CHAPTER XI.
Return Journey to Pernambuco. — Guide Pacifico. — Set out by Night.
— Friends by the Way. — The Champagne. — Goyanna. — Quarters
for the Night — Journey Resumed. — Sertanejos. — Cotton Carriers.
— Cattle Fair. — Pasmodo. — Sun-dial. — Iguarassu. — Rio Granden-
ses do Norte. — The Mails. — Bad Roads. — Night in Olinda. — Early
Ride. — Half an hour too late. .... 195
CHAPTER XII.
Temperance among Seamen. — Embarkation in the Maranhense. —
Province of Rio Grande do Norte. — Natal. — Cape St. Roque. —
Island of Fernando de Noronha. — Entrance to Ceara. — Landing
in the Surf. — Paviola. — Survey of the City. — Style of Building. —
Society. — Ride to Villa Velha. — Sandy Plains. — Engenho de Ra-
padura. — The Campos. - - - - 212
CHAPTER X1U.
Province of Ceara. — Cattle. — Carnauba Palms. — Inhabitants. — In
dians. — Food. — Floods and Drought.— Statistics.— Low State of
Finance. — Proposed Province of Cayriri Novo. — Party Strife. —
Execution of Criminals.— Sabbath at Sea.— Company.— Province
of Piauhy. ...--- 223
CHAPTER XIV.
Itacolumi. — Entrance to Maranham.— The Town.— The Province. —
Rebellion. — Sack of Caxias. — City of Maranham.— Lyceum. —
Temperance Press. — Circulation of Scriptures. — Recolhimento. —
Discovery.— Early History.— The French. — Gomez Freire. — Pro
gress of Society. — Revolution of Independence. — Lord Cochrane.
a2

VI CONTENTS.
Abranches.— Movements of the Admiral.— His Cotton Specula
tion. - - - - - - - 234
CHAPTER XV.
Inland Passage to Para.— Voyage by Sea. — Entrance of the Ama
zon. — Pororoca. — Ascent of the River. — Arrival at Para. — Bethel
Service. — Location and Appearance of the City. — Style of Build
ings.— Public Walk.— Botanical Garden.— The Suburbs.— The
People.— Indians.— Soldiers.— River Craft.— Bathing.— Produc
tions of the Province.— A Home.— The Palace.— License of Resi
dence.- — Pinheiros. — Una. — Maguary. — An Amazonian Forest. —
Geological Formation. — Rice Mills. - - 259
CHAPTER XVI.
Indigenous Productions of Para. — India Rubber. — Massaranduba. —
Annate — Cacao. — Botany. — Vaca Marina. — Turtle-egg Butter. —
Convents. — Cathedral.— Paintings vs. Images. — Bentinhos. — An
nual Festivities. — The Procession. — The Crowd. — Amusements.
— The Results. — An Evening Scene. — Morning. — Water Carriers. 281
CHAPTER XVII.
Amazonia. — Its Discovery. — El Dorado. — Gongalo Pizarro. — His Ex
pedition. — Cruelties. — Sufferings. — Desertion of Orellana. — His
Descent of the River. — Fable of the Amazons. — Fate of the Ad
venturer. — Name of the River. — Settlement of the Country. — Suc
cessive Expeditions up and down the Amazon. — Sufferings of
Madame Godin. — Present State. — Steam Navigation. — History. —
Revolution of 1823.— Prison Ship.— Disorders of 1835.— Result of
Early Cruelties. — Religion and Education. — The Bible in Para. 300
CHAPTER XVIII.
Rout from Para to Matto Grosso. — From Matto Grosso to Rio de
Janeiro. — Name. — Extent and Condition of the Province. — Goyaz.
— Boundaries. — Productions. — Indians. — Mineral Waters. — State
of Society.— Famine among the Gold Hunters.— Schools.— State
of the Arts. — Frequency of Travels in these Regions compared
with those on the Coast.— Spix and Martius.— Russian Embassy.
—Unhappy Issue.— Minas Geraes— Extent.— Population.— Fer
tility.— Mines.— English Mining Company.— Agriculture.— Lack
of Roads. — Schools.— Improvements. - - 322

CONTENTS. VU
CHAPTER XIX,
Departure from Para. — Voyage to Maranham. — A Student without
a Passport. — Passengers. — Ceara. — A Thieving Jangadeiro. — The
Coast. — Pernambuco. — Bahia. — The Orientale. — Polytechnic
School Afloat.— Customs on Board. — Entrance to Rio de Janeiro
by Night. — The Expedition. — Mission to the Seamen of Rio. —
General Results of Missionary Efforts. — Sudden Bereavement. 336
CHAPTER XX.
Condition of Pohtical Parties before the Revolution of 1840. — De
bates in the House of Deputies. — Attempt at Prorogation. — Move
ment of Antonio Carlos. — Co-operation of the Senate. — Deputation
to the Emperor. — Permanent Session. — Acclamation of Don Pe
dro's Majority. — Imperial Oath. — The Assembly's Proclamation.
Rejoicings. — New Ministry. — Public Congratulations. - 354
CHAPTER XXI.
Real state of Things. — Ministerial Programme. — Progress of Affairs.
— Preparations for the Coronation. — Change of Ministry. — Oppo
sition come into Power. — Coronation Postponed. — Finally took
place July 18th, 184i. — Splendor of the Occasion. — Financial Em-
barrassments. — Insignia. — Diplomacy. — Dissolution of the Cama-
ra. — Pretext of Outbreaks. — Council of State. — Reforms of Crimi
nal Code. — S. Paulo. — Minas. — The Capital. — Restoration of Order.
— Session of the Assembly. — Imperial Marriages. — Ministerial
Change.— Politics in 1844. - - - - 367
CHAPTER XXn.
Indians. — Jesuits. — Survey of the Empire. — Its Position. — Extent. —
Influences of the Mother Country. — Finances. — Lack of Popula
tion. — Immigration. — Defective Policy. — The Slave Trade. —
Treaty with England. — Education. — Obstacles. — Literature. —
Language. — Religion. — Prospects. ... 384

EMBELLISHMENTS OF VOL. II.

FRONTISPIECE — IMPERIAL FAMILY.

NEGRO CARRIERS, -
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PAGE 20
CADEIRA, -
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BAHIA, -
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PADRE READING TRACTS,
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85
WATER JARS, ...
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95
PERNAMBUCO, ...
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118
VISCOUNT OF OLINDA,
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155
JANGADA, -
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178
SERTANEJOS CARRYING COTTON,
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204
PAVIOLA, ....
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217
A REDE, ...
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240
MONTARIA, ...
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245
AMAZONIAN CANOE,
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269
MANUFACTURE OF INDIA RUBBER SHOES,
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283
VACA MARINA, ...
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286
ENGLISH CEMETERY, ...
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VASCONCELLOS, ...
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373
SKETCHES OF BRAZIL.

CHAPTER I.
Commnnication between Rio de Janeiro and the river Amazon. — Pre
parations for a voyage. — Embarkation and Departure. — Cape Frio. —
Wreck of the Thetis. — Macahe. — Campos. — St. Sebastian Steamer.—
Captain. — Passengers. — Espirito Santo. — Rio Doce. — Abrolhos.—
Land route to" Bahia. — Prince Maximillian. — Condition of the Coun
try. — Entrance to Bahia. — The Lower Town. — Lack of Carriages. —
Carrier Negroes. — Cadeiras. — Site of Bahia. — Upper Town. — Excur
sion to Rio Vermelho. — Public Cemetery. — Whale Fishery. — English
Chapel. — Public Buildings of the City.
My voyage along the northern coast of Brazil, was
undertaken at an interesting and a favorable epoch.
Up to the year 1839, there had never existed any
means of regular and rapid communication between
the capital and the extreme portions of the empire,
particularly the far north. Few commercial houses in
Rio de Janeiro had correspondents in any of the ports
north of Pernambuco; and not unfrequently political
intelligence from Maranham and Para, was received
at the capital by way of England and the United
States, earlier than by direct dispatches. Such,
moreover, were the difficulties interposed by the regu
lar trade winds, and by the strong currents that set
to leeward of Cape St. Roque, that they could be
overcome by no enterprise short of steam navigation.
To meet so important an exigency, the Brazilian
Vol. II.— 2 9

10 PREPARATIONS FOR A VOYAGE.
Steam Packet Company had been organized, under
the patronage of the imperial government. Its design
was to convey mails and passengers regularly, together
with freight and munitions of war occasionally, between
the different ports along the coast ; and in short, to
establish a bond of connection between Rio de Janeiro
and the river Amazon. The boats of this company
were constructed in England for this express service,
and had just arrived on the coast. They were named
after the principal ports at which they were to touch,
in the following order, viz : the St. Sebastian, the Ba-
hiana, the Pernambucana, the Maranhense, and the
Paraense. The St. Sebastian had just returned from her first
voyage, which had been every way successful, and was
advertised to leave again for the northern ports on the
first day of July. A voyage in that direction had been
for sometime contemplated by Mr. Spaulding, but cir
cumstances transpired which now made it his choice
that I should go ; active preparations were accord
ingly made. In order that our families might dwell
under the same roof during my necessarily long ab
sence, we resolved upon a simultaneous removal to
the Largo d'Ajuda. We had already prepared, as
auxiliaries to our evangelical labors, four new tracts in
the Portuguese language, specially adapted to the
wants of Brazil. Of these we now printed large edi
tions. A fresh supply of Bibles, Testaments, and
Psalters, from the United States, had just passed
through the Alfandega in time for reshipment, by
means of which I was still more thoroughly furnished
for good words and works.
Through the kindness of different gentlemen, nume-

EMBARKATION AND DEPARTURE. 11
rous and valuable letters of introduction — in English,
Portuguese, and French — had been placed in my
hands. Finally, my passport was taken out in time,
and my passage paid — so that Sabbath, the last day of
June, was spent as that day should ever be, in unin
terrupted religious services. In the morning I preached
under the Bethel flag, to a congregation of seamen on
board the American brig Congress, and at evening to
an attentive audience in the mission-house at the
Largo d'Ajuda.
On Monday, July first, after having embarked my
baggage through the consulado, and taken leave of my
wife — who, in charge of an infant son and daughter,
was to remain at Rio de Janeiro — I was accompanied
by Mr. Spaulding on board the steamer. Dark volumes
of bituminous smoke rolled up from the pipes of the
St. Sebastian, as she rounded the Ilha das Cobras and
came abreast of the city. At the appointed signal we
pushed off in a boat from the Largo do Paco, and were
soon on board. Visiting officers and friends at length
took their leave, and just as the sun was setting our
boat passed under the guns of Fort Santa Cruz, and
sought the open Atlantic in the teeth of a strong sea-
breeze, before which a sloop-of-war and several other
vessels, under a press of canvas, were making a rapid
entrance into the harbor.
The next morning, at nine o'clock, we were abreast
of Cape Frio, the great landmark for this section of
the coast. It is, in fact, a promontory, and the termi
nus of a long range of mountains by which the coast is
barricaded to the west and south. A huge oval mass
of granite here marks the spot where the line of. coast
turning to the north, forms nearly a right angle.

12 WRECK OF THE THETIS.
Some years ago the English frigate Thetis, bound
homeward at the expiration of a cruise in the Pacific,
was wrecked upon Cape Frio. This vessel, on leaving
the harbor of Rio where she had touched, had en
countered foul weather. After struggling against it
till it was presumed she had cleared the coast, she bore
away on her course. The darkness of the night was
impenetrable, and the wind being strong, the ship was
running eight or ten knots an hour, when, without the
slightest warning or apprehension of danger by any one
on board, she dashed upon this rocky bulwark. The
officers and crew, in the shock and consternation of
the moment, had barely time to transfer themselves to
contiguous portions of the promontory, before the shi
vered frigate went to the bottom. Most of those on
board were saved by being drawn, and by drawing
themselves up, on shelves of the rock out of the
reach of the waves, where, in the most constrained
position, they were forced to remain throughout the
dismal night.
I have frequently conversed with a person who was
a midshipman on board the Thetis at the time, but
upon whom the horrors of that dreadful scene made
such an impression, as to cause him to abandon the
ocean from that day forward, not even returning to his
native land. A good light-house has since been con
structed upon Cape Frio, which at the present time
renders the approach of the navigator nearly as safe
by night as it is by day.
From this point the coast stretching to the north is
low and sandy. About ten miles distant is a small
town, which as early as 1615 received the name of the
city of Cape Frio. Since that period it has improved

CAMPOS. 13
but. little, although it has a safe harbor, and is sur
rounded by some fertile land. The marshes in its
vicinity produce salt.
The next port on the coast is Macahe, near the mouth
of a small river by the same name. Both these ports
are touching places for small steamers which ply be
tween Rio de Janeiro and Campos, formerly called S.
Salvador, a flourishing village twenty miles up the
Parahiba river. The vast region surrounding the last
mentioned town, is known as the Campos dos Goyata-
kazes, or plains of the Goyatakaz Indians, the abori
ginal inhabitants. It is a rich tract of country, and
has, for beauty, been compared to the Elysian fields.
Campos is situated on the western bank of the river.
The town has regular and well-paved streets, with
some fine houses. Its commerce is extensive, employ
ing a vast number of coasting smacks to export its
sugar, its rum, its coffee, and its rice. The sugars of
Campos are said by some to be the best in Brazil.
After passing Cape Frio, the course of the St. Se
bastian was about north by east. The boat was hea
vily laden with the coals necessary for her voyage, and
her engines having only one hundred horse power, did
not enable her to progress on an average over five
knots an hour for the first two or three days. I had
supposed her possessed of better sailing capacities ;
but even when lightened of her coals, and having a
piping breeze behind her, she did not make more than
eight and a half knots per hour ; however, she was a
safe sea-boat, and her machinery worked with ease.
Her captain was an Englishman, who had served his
maritime apprenticeship in the service of the East In
dia Company. He had subsequently visited the United
B

14 ESPIRIT0 SANTO.
States, crossed the Rocky Mountains to Oregon, spent
two years on the western coast of America, returning
to England round Cape Horn. One element of his
present ambition was to earn money enough to buy a
farm in Michigan, and retire from business.
The engineers, officers, and seamen of the boat were
nearly all English ; while, in the cabin, a colonel of the
Brazilian army, three Englishmen and myself, composed
the entire list of passengers. This colonel had repeat
edly distinguished himself for his bravery, and was the
officer to whom, more than to any other, Bahia owed
its restoration from the late rebellion. He had sub
sequently been sent to Rio Grande do Sul, where his
health had failed him, and he was now returning home
to his family in Pernambuco. His society was highly
interesting and agreeable. I should be pleased to
speak as favorably of the other tenants of the cabin.
but their devotion to the silly game of cards, to strong
drink, and to profane language, forbids. By day and
by night they were gambling for every imaginable
thing, and seemed to think themselves brave and happy
when thus employed. This circumstance deserves
mention solely as being in contrast to the good order
and decent conduct which I almost always observed
among the Brazilians, with whom I happened at dif
ferent times to be a fellow passenger.
We were now on the coast of Espirito Santo. This
province embraces the old captaincy of the same name
and part of that of Porto Seguro. It is bounded by
Rio de Janeiro on the south, Minas Geraes on the
west, and Bahia on the north. Although this portion
of the coast was that discovered by Cabral, and settled
by the first Donataries, yet it is still but thinly inhabit-

THE ABROLHOS. 15
ed, and has not made the improvements that may be
found in most other parts. Its soil is fertile, and espe
cially adapted to the cultivation of sugar-cane, toge
ther with most of the intertropical productions. Its
forests furnish precious woods and useful drugs, and
its waters abound with valuable fish. Yet vast regions
of its territory are only roamed by savage tribes, who
still make occasional plundering incursions upon the
settlements. Surveys have recently been instituted
upon the river Doce, from which it is thought practica
ble to render that stream navigable to small steamers.
An organized company has this enterprise in charge,
and proposes to open a new and direct means of trans
port between the coast and the province of Minas
Geraes. Should this undertaking succeed it will be
of great importance, not only to the province of Espi-
rito Santo and Minas Geraes, but also to the city of
Bahia, to which large quantities of the produce ex
ported would be directly conveyed.
On the 6th of July we were in the neighborhood of
the Abrolhos, four small rocky islands about ninety
miles from the shore, in the eighteenth degree of south
latitude. These islands are low, and dangerous to navi
gators. In fact they are nothing more than projec
tions from a bank of rocks, which exhibits itself occa
sionally between the seventeenth and twenty-fifth de
grees of south latitude, at a distance of from two to
ten leagues from the main land. Besides these rocky
shoals there is also a regular reef of rocks running quite
near the shore, and generally parallel with it, the whole
distance from Cape Frio to Maranham. Espirito
Santo, Porto Seguro, Ilheos, and in fact nearly all the
ports along the entire coast, as will hereafter appear,

16 PRINCE MAXIMILLIAN.
are formed by openings in this reef. The name Abrol-
hos is compounded from two Portuguese words, sig
nifying " open your eyes." As we approached them,
however, it was growing dark, and we preferred trust
ing to the lead rather than to our eyes. Soundings
were taken which gave successively thirty fathoms,
twenty-five, seventeen, and twenty-seven. We then
bore away due north, and gained a few points more
of a fine breeze.
The distance from Rio de Janeiro to Bahia is about
eight hundred miles. There is no large city or flourish
ing port on the coast, nor is there a single direct or
beaten road through the interior. The only author
who has ever traveled over this portion of Brazil by
land is Prince Maximillian, of Neuwied. Few natu
ralists have exhibited more enthusiasm, and few tra
velers more persevering industry, than did his royal
highness in passing through these wild and unculti
vated regions. It is difficult to form an idea of the
impediments, annoyances, and dangers which he had
to surmount, such as dense and thorny vegetation, in
sect plagues, among which were the most formidable
wasps' and hornets' nests, wild beasts, venomous rep
tiles, and rivers without bridges. Yet such was the
interest and cheerfulness with which the prince per
formed his journeys, that he described his condition by
saying, " although scratched and maimed by thorns,
soaked by the rains, exhausted by incessant perspira
tion caused by the heat, yet nevertheless the traveler
is transported in view of the magnificent vegetation."
His travels in Brazil were accomplished between the
years 1815 and 1818, and the rich and interesting
work in which he gave their results to the world fur-

CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY. 17
nishes up to the present day the best account we have
of the scenery and of the people on this section of the
coast. No part of South America of equal extent and
importance, has heen less agitated by the revolutions
of the last half century. Its form of government has,
indeed, been repeatedly modified, but the character
and condition of the inhabitants have not been suscep
tible of equally rapid changes. Under the present
regimen, there has been a gradual improvement ; yet,
up to 1839, the whole province of Espirito Santo con
tained not a single printing press. Many of its churches,
built with great expense by the early settlers, were
going to decay. Nothing whatever was doing towards
civilizing or instructing the Indians; and, amidst a
population of forty-three thousand, there were only
seven primary schools in actual operation. Neverthe
less various improvements were contemplated, which
we hope will be fully realized.
On the sixth day of our voyage, land was discovered
about one o'clock P. m. It proved to be the lower ex
tremity of the island of Itaparica. The entire coast
was low, and little could be seen, save here and there
a line of branching coqueiros, (cocoa-nut trees.)
A short distance below the real entrance to the har
bor is what is called Barra Falsa, or the feigned en
trance. So similar is the appearance of the coast in
this place to that adjoining the real harbor, that when
seen from a short distance at sea, even those accus
tomed to the port are often deceived by the resem
blance. Thus was our captain for a short time, but
not long enough to cause any material deviation from
his proper course.
The anticipation of a speedy arrival now pervaded
Vol. II.— 3 b 2

18 ENTRANCE TO BAHIA.
the breast of every one on board ; and even the San
Sebastian, lightened of her fuel, seemed to partake of
the common enthusiasm, as she pointed her bows di
rectly towards the light-house of San Salvador. Slow
ly but regularly as we approached, the promontory,
on which the looked-for city stands, seemed to arise out
of the ocean. Presently the eye was struck with an
outline of domes and towers. Soon, the Antonio con
vent, the Victoria church, the walls of the English
cemetery, and various other objects in white, were
clearly distinguished. We had fairly entered the har
bor, but were still at a distance from our anchorage,
when night lowered upon the scene, simultaneously
with a sudden squall of wind and rain.
It was not without danger that our boat now pushed
her way into a dense crowd of shipping, which could
scarcely be discerned at the distance of a cable's length.
Yet so she did in safety, and soon came to an anchor
near the Fortaleza do Mar, an old circular fortress,
standing upon a steep bank of rocks, immediately in
front of the town.
As the squall cleared up our passengers went on
shore, but I remained, thinking to enjoy a quiet evening
in the cabin. Unfortunately, for this expectation, our
captain received a visit from two other captains of
steam packets, then in the harbor, (also Englishmen,)
who, having just risen from their dinner and their wine,
were not disposed to be specially guarded in their lan
guage. How heart-sickening it is to be forced to listen to
profanity ! How mournful to witness the voluntary self-
degradation of the swearer ! Next morning I went on
shore, immediately after breakfast. Landing near the

THE LOWER TOWN. 19
arsenal, I passed into the lower town, which is com
posed of a single narrow street, running parallel to the
water's edge.
Along this Rua da Praya are located all the more
important commercial houses. Here is the Alfandega,
through which all foreign goods must enter ; also, the
Consulado, through which all home productions must
pass, preliminary to exportation. Some of the trapi-
ches (warehouses) near by are of immense extent, and
said to be among the largest in the world.
Around the landing-places cluster hundreds of ca
noes, launches, and various other small craft, dis
charging their loads of fruit and produce. On one
part of the Praya is a wide opening, which is used as
a market-place. Near this a modern building has
been constructed for an exchange. The merchants,
however, make but little use of it, preferring a very
indifferent room, in which they have long been accus
tomed to meet.
This lower town is not calculated to make a favor-
ble impression upon the stranger. The buildings are
old, although generally of a cheerful exterior. The
street is very narrow, uneven, and wretchedly paved.
Besides, the gutter passes directly through the middle,
rendering it unavoidably filthy. At the same time it
is crowded with pedlers and carriers of every descrip
tion. You here learn one peculiarity of the city of
Bahia. Owing to the irregularities of its surface, and
the steepness of the ascent which separates the upper
town from the lower, it does not admit of the use of
wheel carriages. Not even a cart or truck is to be
seen, for the purpose of removing burdens from one
place to another. Whatever requires change of place

20

NEGRO CARRIERS.

in all the commerce and ordinary business of this sea
port, and it is second in size and importance to but
one other in South America, must pass on the heads
and shoulders of men. Burdens are here more fre
quently carried upon the shoulders, since the principal
exports of the city being sugar in cases, and cotton in
bales, it is impossible that they should be borne on the
head like bags of coffee.
Immense numbers of tall, athletic negroes, are seen
moving in pairs or gangs of four, six, or eight, with
their loads suspended between them on heavy poles.
Numbers more of their fellows are seen setting upon
their poles, braiding straw, or lying about the alleys
and corners of the streets, asleep, reminding one of
black-snakes coiled up in the sunshine. The sleepers

s? jjecn*

NEGRO ^AREIERS.

LACK OF CARRIAGES. 21
generally have some sentinel ready to call them when
they are wanted for business, and at the given signal
they rouse up like the elephant to his burden. Like
the coffee-carries of Rio, they often sing and shout as
they go, but their gait is necessarily slow and measured,
resembling a dead march rather than the double-quick
step of their Fluminensian colleagues. Another class
of negroes are devoted to carrying passengers in a
species of sedan chair, called cadeiras.
It is indeed a toilsome, and often a dangerous task,
for white persons to ascend on foot the bluffs on which
stands the cidade alta, particularly when the powerful
rays of the sun are pouring, without mitigation, upon
their heads. No omnibus or cab, or even sege,* can be
found to do him service. Suited to this state of things,
he finds near every corner or place of public resort, a
long row of curtained cadeiras, the bearers of which,
with hat in hand, crowd around him with all the eager
ness, though not with the impudence, of carriage-drivers
in New York, saying, " Quer cadeira, Senhor?" "Will
you have a chair, sir?" When he has made his selection
and seated himself to his liking, the bearers elevate their
load and march along, apparently as much pleased with
the opportunity of carrying a passenger, as he is with
the chance of being carried. To keep a cadeira or
two, and negroes to bear them, is as necessary for a
family in Bahia, as the keeping of carriages and horses
elsewhere. The livery of the carriers, and the ex-
pensiveness of the curtaining and ornaments of the
cadeira, indicate the rank and style which the family
maintains. * See the carriages represented in the engraving, Palace of the
Senate, Vol. I.

22

A CADEIRA.

Some of the streets, between the upper and lower
towns, wind by a zig-zag course along ravines ; others
slant across an almost perpendicular bluff, to avoid, as
much as possible, its steepness. Nor is the surface
level, when you have ascended to the summit. Not
even Rome can boast of so many hills as are here
clustered together, forming the site of Bahia. Its ex
tent between its extreme limits, Rio Vermelho and
Montserate, is about six miles. The city is nowhere
wide, and for the most part is composed of only one or
two principal streets. The direction of these, changes
with the various curves and angles necessary to pre
serve the summit of the promontory. Frequent open
ings, between the houses built along the summit, ex
hibit the most picturesque views of the bay on the -one

THE UPPER TOWN. 23
hand and of the country on the other. The aspect of
the city is antique. Great sums have been expended
in the construction of its pavements, but more with a
view to preserve the streets from injury by rains, than
to furnish roads for any kind of carriages. Here and
there may be seen an ancient fountain of stone-work,
placed in a valley of greater or less depth, to serve as
a rendezvous for some stream that trickles down the
hill above ; but there is nowhere any important aque
duct. I had the good fortune, immediately after going on
shore, to meet with several gentlemen to whom I bore
letters. Among them were the acting English and
American consuls, and Rev. Mr. Parker, chaplain to
the English residents. The latter was seeking exer
cise in the cultivation of his garden, in which he mani
fested great taste and industry.
Persons of a common language and of kindred pur
suits, who meet in a foreign country, are not long in
forming an acquaintance. Mr. P. very soon proposed
a ride on horseback, in which he would show me some
of the environs of the city. This ride proved extremely
interesting. One of the first objects we passed, was
the ruined wall of a public cemetery for the city. This
cemetery had been laid out and prepared under the aus
pices of a company, organized for the purpose. To this
company had been conceded the privilege of making
the interments for the whole city, to their future ex
clusion from the churches. This was a measure so
imperatively called for by common prudence, with
respect to health, that it had met with but little oppo
sition at fh;st, and in fact had obtained the sanction of
the archbishop. But no sooner was the new cemetery

24 RIO VERMELHO.
opened for use, than the popular fury broke forth
against it. The people assembled in a mob, being
doubtless excited by their parish priests, whose perqui
sites were about to be curtailed. When the soldiery
were called out to quell the riot, they joined the mob,
and did not rest until the whole cemetery was defaced
and ruined.
We rode towards Rio Vermelho. The hedges of
the suburbs of Bahia are composed of lime trees, the
leaves of which, when newly trimmed, emit an exqui
site fragrance. Large jaca trees, with their heavy fruit
clinging to the limbs and trunk, together with some
other trees not known in Rio, are abundant here.
Descending towards the Red river, or rivulet, as it
rather deserved to be called, the hill appeared curi
ously diversified by deep valleys, running parallel to
each other. The route was beautifully ornamented by
coqueiros, and other indigenous trees and shrubs. On
the banks of the Rio Vermelho, we called at a small
house occupied by my friend and his family in the hot
season of the year, and thence returned by the sea
beach. Close under the brow of the Antonio hill, we
visited the principal establishment connected with the
whale-fisheries of the harbor. A whale had been taken
the day previous, and was undergoing the process of
dissection on the beach. Another had just been har
pooned within sight, and three boats, a short distance
out, were towing him ashore. The proprietor showed
us the fixtures made use of for extracting oil. Some
specimens of the oil he declared to be equal to the
American. Although his opinion might have been
questioned as to its strict accuracy, yet I had no dis
position to debate the point with him. In fact, I was

WHALE FISHERY. 25
busy with the conclusion, that if there was no other
commendation to the American oil, than the mere cir
cumstance of its being prepared on the high seas,
rather than in the neighborhood of a populous city, it
should, for that reason, have my patronage.
Notwithstanding the severe trial to the olfactories
of some thousands of people, which is sure to result
from the capture of a whale, yet such an event is a
general occasion of triumph at Bahia. Hundreds of
people, the colored especially, throng around to wit
ness the monster's dying struggles, and to procure
portions of his flesh, which they cook and eat. Vast
quantities of this flesh are cooked in the streets, and
sold by Quitandeiras. Numbers of swine also feast
upon the carcass of the whale ; and all who are not
specially discriminating in their selection of pork in
the market, during the season of these fisheries, are
liable to get a taste of the whale, nolens volens. This
whale-fishery was once the greatest in the world. At
the close of the seventeenth century, it was rented by
the crown for thirty thousand dollars annually. The
American whalers occasionally take whales off this
coast, but in general they find other cruising grounds
more profitable.
From the beach, we ascended a winding path to the
Victoria hill, passing by the English cemetery, which,
although small, is delightfully located. The house in
which Mr. P. resided was small, but tastefully ar
ranged, with an ample garden in front. Adjoining it,
had recently been constructed an addition, which
served as a chapel. This room was so arranged as to
seat, comfortably, eighty or a hundred persons. The
usual number in attendance would average sixty, about
Vol. II. — 4 C

26 PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
half the number of English residents. After our ex
cursion, Mr. Parker accompanied me to dine with Mr.
Whately, acting British consul; and thus my first
day's visit to Bahia passed away in the most agreeable
manner. The evening and night I spent with Mr. Foster,
acting American consul, at whose house I was kindly
invited to make my home. The next morning that
gentleman conducted me through the principal parts
of the city, which I had not already seen. The almost
entire absence of horses and mules in the streets, did
not soon cease to appear singular. An unusual num
ber of goats and pigs, was hardly sufficient to supply
the lack of the aforementioned animals.
We entered the chapel of the convents of San Bento
and S. Francisco. The former is barren of ornament ;
the latter extravagantly profuse. The chapel of the
Misericordia was dressed out with hangings and orna
ments, in anticipation of some festa. The old cathe
dral, an immense edifice, which had been constructed
with great expense, was found in quite an indifferent
state of repair. In a wing of this building, from which
may be enjoyed a very commanding view of the har
bor, is located the public library. The regulations of
this institution are similar to those of the national
library at Rio. It contains about ten thousand volumes,
a large portion of which are in French. Some valu
able manuscripts are also in preservation here. In this
immediate neighborhood, are the archiepiscopal palace
and seminary, and the old Jesuit college, now used as
a military hospital. The latter building, together with
the church of Nossa Senhora da Concei^ao on the
Praya, may almost be said to have been built in Eu-

HISTORICAL AUTHORITIES. 27
rope ; at least the principal stone-work for them was
cut, fitted, and numbered, on the other side of the
Atlantic, and imported ready for immediate erection.
The president's palace is also but a short distance
from this locality. It is a substantial building, of
ancient date, located upon one side of an open square.
Although I intend to introduce, in this connection,
some account of my second visit and longer sojourn in
Bahia, yet I apprehend the reader will be pleased with
a brief sketch of the history of the city, antecedent to
further observations. In preparing this sketch I shall,
in addition to facts given by Mr. Southey, avail myself
of the labors of Senhor Ignacio Accioli de Cerqueira e
Silva, whose work, entitled Memorias Historicas e
Politicas da Provincia da Bahia, in four volumes, lies
before me.
This writer has devoted several years to the minute
investigation of the history of his native city and pro
vince, and has detailed the results at great length,
and doubtless with accuracy.

28 ORIGIN OF THE NAME BRAZIL.

CHAPTER II.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF BAHIA.
Discovery of the Bay. — Foundation of the City.— Caramurd. — The Ca
pital of Portuguese America. — Attacks of the Dutch. — A Slide. — A
Pestilence.— Selection of a Patron Saint.— A Mutiny quelled by the
Wafer.— Gipsies. — The Pillory.— Monasticism.— The Slave Trade.
Bahia de todas os Santos, the Bay of All Saints,
was discovered in 1503 by Americus Vespucius, who
was then voyaging under the patronage of the king of
Portugal, Don Manoel. Vespucius carried home from
the coast of Santa Cruz, as the newly-discovered
country was first called by the Portuguese, a cargo of
ibiripitanga, a scarlet dye-wood, which, when cut in
pieces, resembled brazas, coals of fire. From this cir
cumstance it by degrees acquired the name of Brazil
wood. This valuable commodity was destined to fur
nish a name to the country, substituting its original
appellation as effectually as did America the name of
Columbus. In 1510, a vessel under the command of Diogo
Alvares Correa, was wrecked near the entrance of
this bay. The Tupinambas, a ferocious tribe of Indians
inhabiting the coast, fell upon and destroyed all who
survived this shipwreck, save the captain of the vessel.
The Indians spared Diogo, as some supposed, on ac
count of his activity in assisting them to save articles
from the wreck. At any rate he had the good fortune
to recover a musket, and some barrels of powder and
ball. With these he took occasion to shoot a bird in

CARAMURU. 29
their presence. Terrified with the explosion no less
than with its effects, the Indians called him from that
moment CaramurU, " the man of fire."
His next step was to conciliate their favor by assur
ing them, that although he was a terror to his enemies,
he could be a valuable auxiliary to his friends. He
accordingly accompanied the Tupinambas on an expe
dition against a neighboring tribe with whom they
were at war. The first discharge of Caramuru's
musket gained him possession of the field, his fright
ened adversaries scampering for their lives.
Little more was necessary to secure him a perfect
supremacy among the aboriginals. As a proof of
this, he was soon complimented with proposals from
various chiefs, who offered him their daughters in mar
riage. Diogo made choice of Paraguassu, daughter of
the head chief Itaparica, whose name is perpetuated
as the designation of the large island in front of the
city ; while that of Paraguassu, the bride, is applied to
one of the rivers emptying into the bay. He now
began a settlement, which he denominated S. Salva
dor, in gratitude for his escape from the shipwreck.
This settlement was located in a place denominated
Graca, on the Victoria hill, a suburb of the city which
will be hereafter described, and which is still occasion
ally called Villa Velha, old town.
. After the lapse of some years, a ship from Normandy
anchored in front of Caramuru's town, and opened
communications with the shore. Diogo now conceived
the idea of returning to Europe ; and after having sup
plied the vessel with a cargo, he embarked for Dieppe,
accompanied by Paraguassu. He intended if he arrived
safely, to go from Dieppe to Lisbon. The French, how-
c2

30 RETURN TO HIS COLONY.
ever, would not permit this, but preferred to make him
a lion in their own capital. Paraguassu was the first
Indian female that had ever appeared in Paris. A
splendid fete was given at her baptism, when she was
christened Catharine Alvares, after Catherine de Me-
dicis, queen of France. King Henry II., accompanying
his royal spouse, officiated on the occasion as godfa
ther and sponsor.
The French government contracted with Caramuru
to send out vessels which should carry him to his
adopted country, and return with Brazil wood and
other articles-, which should be given in exchange for
goods and trinkets. In the meantime this individual,
true to his original intent, contrived to inform Don
John III., of Portugal, of the importance of colonizing
Bahia. A young Portuguese, who had just finished his
studies in Paris, and was returning to Portugal, was
the bearer of this message. The name of the young
man in question was Pedro Fernandez Sardinha, after
wards bishop of Bahia.
The natives rejoiced at Caramuru's return, and his
colony now increased rapidly, and extended its influence
in every direction. In 1534, the chaplains of Martin
Affonso de Souza, who touched at Bahia, probably on
a return voyage from S. Vicente, baptized the children
of Caramuru. On the same occasion two of his daugh
ters were married, one to Alfonso Roderiguez, and the
other to Paulo Aderno, a Genoese. Of the former,
there still may be seen an epitaph in the Victoria
church, stating the circumstance of his marriage, and
that he died about thirty years afterward.
At this period the king of Portugal, in order to se
cure the settlement of Brazil, divided the country into

CAPITAL OF PORTUGUESE AMERICA. 31
twelve captaincies, each of fifty leagues extent on the
coast, and boundless towards the interior. Each cap
taincy was conceded to a donatary, whose power and
authority were absolute. Francisco Pereira Coutinho,
the individual who came to take possession of Bahia,
was a man rash and arbitrary in the extreme. He
soon became jealous of the influence of Diogo Alvares,
and commenced to persecute and oppress him. He
finally sent him on board a ship as a prisoner.
This course exasperated the Indians, who deter
mined on revenge. They attacked the settlement,
burned the sugar-mills of Coutinho, killed his son, and
drove him away. In attempting to return his vessel
was wrecked on the island Itaparica, and he was de
stroyed by the natives. Diogo Alvares was again
restored to his original supremacy.
The growing importance of the country, together
with rumors of violence practised by the donataries,
induced Don John III. to appoint a governor-general
of Brazil, to reside at S. Salvador, and lo have juris
diction over all the donataries.
Thome de Souza, first governor-general, landed at
Bahia in 1549 with six vessels, bringing with him
three hundred men in the king's pay, four hundred
degredados, men who had been banished, and three
hundred colonists, in all one thousand men, besides
some Jesuit missionaries, engineers, soldiers, and civil
functionaries. Souza landed with military ceremonies at Vilha
Velha, but in the course of a month proceeded to
choose another location for the commencement of his
operations. It was that of the present cathedral, go
vernment palace, and other public buildings. Here

32 ATTACK OF THE DUTCH.
he laid the foundation of these several edifices, erect
ed taipa walls to serve for present purposes, and plant
ed batteries on all sides.
Caramuru was now an old man, but was of great
service to the .governor-general in conciliating the na
tives, and consummating with them a treaty of peace.
In four months a hundred houses were built, and vari
ous sugar plantations were laid out in the vicinity.
From this period the city of S. Salvador having been
constituted the capital of Portuguese America, and
remaining under the direct patronage of the mother
country, rapidly increased in size and importance.
The governors were changed very often. Some of
them were distinguished for their successful wars
against the Indians, and others for their zeal in
attempting to proselyte them, through the very ineffi
cient means then made use of.
The year 1624 witnessed the first depredations of
the Dutch upon the then quiet and prosperous city of
Bahia. Without the least notice or provocation a
fleet from Holland entered the harbor, attacked the
city, burnt the shipping, and debarked men to seize
the fortress of S. Antonio, who marched up the Vic
toria hill, and, after some fighting, gained possession
of the town. This they sacked, without even sparing
the churches. The captors immediately erected addi
tional fortifications, made prizes of all the Portuguese
and Spanish ships that came into the harbor, not know
ing that the town had changed masters. The inhabi
tants, at the moment of attack, had fled in a cowardly
manner, but they soon collected their strength and be
sieged the Hollanders closely. The chief command
of the Portuguese devolved upon the Bishop Don Mar-

CONSTERNATION AT MADRID. 33
cos. This prelate, it appears, had formerly given ad
vice, by virtue of which troops had been sent away
from the city. He was now anxious to retrieve his
reputation. Wherefore he took the field in the garb
of a penitent, displayed the cross upon his standard,
and caused prayers to be offered publicly. He took
up his head quarters at Rio Vermelho, and was suc
cessful in various attacks upon the outposts of the
Dutch, and also upon their foraging parties. By vir
tue of his authority as commander in chief, he knight
ed several individuals who had distinguished them
selves in the skirmishes. Indeed he seems to have
omitted no means, spiritual or temporal, for promoting
his cause.
Portugal was at this time tributary to Spain. The
news of the loss of Bahia caused great consternation
at Madrid, and the more since it had been rumored
that the English were to unite their forces with the
Dutch, and establish the elector Palatine, king of
Brazil. The Spanish court adopted measures worthy
of its superstition and its power. Instructions were
dispatched to the governors of Portugal, requiring
them to examine into the crimes which had provoked
this visitation of the Divine vengeance, and to punish
them forthwith. Novenas were appointed throughout
the whole kingdom ; and a litany and prayers, framed
for the occasion, were to be said after the mass. On
one of the nine days, there was to be a solemn proces
sion of the people in every town and village, and of the
monks in every cloister. The sacrament was exposed
in all the churches of Lisbon, and a hundred thousand
crowns were contributed in that city to aid the govern
ment in recovering St. Salvador.
Vol. II.— 5

34 THE OCEAN FLEET.
The great ocean fleet, as the Spaniards called it,
was now equipped. One so powerful had never before
crossed the equator. It consisted of forty sail, and
eight thousand soldiers, under D. Fadrique de Toledo ;
D. Manoel de Menezes being in command of the Por
tuguese division. Meantime Francisco Nunez had
been sent to relieve the Bishop D. Marcos of his mili
tary command, in order that the prelate might devote
himself wholly to spiritual concerns, and by all means
prevent the enemy from disseminating their heretical
opinions, of which the Portuguese were in more dread
than of their arms. Orders had been dispatched from
Madrid to be specially vigilant against this danger.
The fatigues of war had, however, been too great for
his reverence. He died soon after he delivered up .his
command, and was buried in a little chapel at Itapa-
gipe, from which he had driven the Dutch.
In March, 1625, the united fleets of Spain and Por
tugal appeared off the bay. The sight animated and
intoxicated the Brazilians. They fancied that it would
intimidate the Dutch as greatly as it had encouraged
them, and thinking to have the whole glory of recover
ing the city themselves, they precipitately attacked it,
and were beaten off with great loss. The fleet ad
vanced more cautiously. D. Fadrique knew that
powerful reinforcements had been raised in Holland,
and was apprehensive that they might have arrived
before him. Having ascertained that this was not the
case, he entered the bay with trumpets sounding, co
lors flying, and the ships ready for action. The Dutch
vessels also, and the walls and forts, were dressed out
with their banners, and streamers hoisted, either to
welcome friends or defy enemies, whichever these new-

THE DUTCH CAPITULATE. 35
comers might prove to be. The city had been fortified
with great care, according to the best principles of en
gineering, a science in which no people had at that
time such experience as the Dutch. It was defended
with ninety-two pieces of artillery, and from the new
fort upon the beach they fired red-hot shot. There
were ten ships of war, and eighteen merchantmen, in
the harbor. D. Fadrique, who saw the strength of the
place, and knew that the fleet from Holland must soon
arrive, called a council of war, and proposed to land
three thousand men, and leave the main force of the
expedition on board to intercept the enemy's succors.
The conclusion was that half the army should be land
ed, and that the fleet should stretch over from Itapa-
gipe to St. Antonio, thus at once blockading the ships
in port and cutting off all supplies.
After some skirmishing the Dutch proposed a capi
tulation, which was acceded to. The terms were, that
D. Fadrique should give them shipping and stores to
carry them to Holland, safe conduct, and sufficient
arms for their defence upon the way.
The city suffered less at its capture than at its reco
very. The Dutch came to win the country and to keep
it. It had, therefore, been their policy to preserve
good order, and to conciliate the natives. But the
Spaniards and the Italians of D. Fadrique's army had
been trained up in all the excesses of a military life.
The Portuguese were not slow in acquiring the vices
of their companions, and soon no place, private or pub
lic, was safe from their violence.
The Dutch fleet, of thirty-four sail, which had been
so long expected, arrived in May, but put back to sea
at the sight of Spanish colors. Bahia, however, had

36 NAVAL BRAVERY.
not yet done with the Dutch. Two years after, one
of their fleets, under the command of Heyne, beat into
the harbor against a head wind. The governor, Oli-
veira, in apprehension of an attack, had drawn up
under the guns of the fort, the ships' which were in the
harbor, sixteen in number — and placed four of the
largest, manned with troops, outermost, as batteries
to protect the rest. He then planted forty-two large
battering pieces on shore, intending to sink the vessels
of the invader. Heyne desperately ran his own ship
between the two largest of the enemy's floating bat
teries, where none of his fleet could find their way to
him, but where neither the Portuguese from the forts,
nor from the shore, could fire at him without endan
gering the lives of their own countrymen. In the
course of half an hour he sent one of their batteries to
the bottom; the others immediately struck, and the
twelve smaller vessels could make no resistance. The
Dutch went off in boats, cut their cables, and car
ried them all out except three of the smallest, which
were empty. They could not, however, get off Heyne's
ship. She had suffered greatly in the action, and
struck when the tide went out, so that she was order
ed to be set on fire. Another of the Dutch vessels was
blown up. In the two they lost above three hundred
men. The next day the admiral inspected his prizes ;
the four largest he loaded and sent home to Holland,
four others were added to his own fleet, and the rest
were burned. He remained in the bay four-and-twenty
days. In 1638, Mauritz, the Count of Nassau, then in full
possession of Pernambuco, and a large portion of the
adjoining coast, attempted to capture Bahia. He

NASSAU STORMS THE CITY. 37
approached with forty ships, bearing eight thousand
seven hundred men, including seamen and Indians.
He feigned the intent of landing at Itapoan, a league
from the entrance of the bay, but finally stood in, pass
ed up by the city, and anchored at Itapagipe. The
mouth of the harbor is so wide that no fort could
effectively command it, neither could every part of the
coast be guarded, and this was a point wholly unoccu
pied. Here Nassau landed his men, and took up his
march towards the town. The garrison consisted of
about two thousand five hundred soldiers, one thou
sand of whom were from Pernambuco. Unfortunately
dissensions prevailed between the latter and the Ba-
hianos, which well nigh ruined their common cause.
The Dutch erected batteries from which to storm the
city, and the Portuguese threw up redoubts, and even
raised cannon to the tower of the cathedral, with which
to annoy the enemy's batteries. Operations were car
ried on without much energy for a month. Notwith
standing the disadvantages of the besieged, Nassau
met with a warmer reception than he had anticipated.
His foraging parties had been cut off, and his supplies
were running short. In this juncture he resolved
to storm the city, and bring the siege to an issue.
At seven o'clock in the evening three thousand men
began the assault. They won the fosse, and entrench
ed themselves there. Then they assaulted the gate.
Here the fight became bloody. The place was so nar
row that no weapon was discharged in vain ; the fire
balls and grenades of the besiegers took full effect ;
and the beams and stones which the Portuguese threw
down, fell upon the heads of their assailants. By a
strange oversight the Dutch neglected to give the alarm
D

38 THE DUTCH REPULSED.
at other quarters, and therefore the besieged were able
to bring their whole strength to this point. Some
attacked them in the fosse, others beat them from the
gate. The troops from all the out-works came to the
scene of action. Nassau brought up the rest of his
forces, and the assault became a general battle on
which the result of the siege was staked. The Dutch
gave way, for they fought to disadvantage. Mauritz
gave orders to kill all who fled, and they returned des
perately to the charge. But it was of no avail; the
Portuguese knew their ground, and had therefore a
confidence in the darkness which their assailants could
not feel ; they had likewise a motive to animate them
which redoubled their exertions, and they beat the
enemy back.
The Dutch revenged themselves with disgraceful
cruelty for this defeat. They explored the reconcave
in their light vessels, and whenever they could surprise
an unprotected house, they put all to the sword. The
besiegers continued to fire upon the city, doing but
little harm ; they themselves suffering severely at the
same time from the fire of the besieged. After a week
of this sullen perseverance, they abandoned their posts
and departed, leaving behind a part of their stores.
Their loss was estimated at two thousand men.
These wars assumed vast importance in view of
the bearing they have had upon the destinies of the
world. Never was a contest between rival powers
carried on with means so disproportioned to its ob
jects. Nations were here contending for an empire
not less in extent than the whole of civilized Eu
rope, and all the forces employed on both sides
never amounted to fifteen thousand men. From this

LAND SLIDE. 39
period Bahia enjoyed quietness, and continued to im
prove for a great number of years without any re
verses. Various events, however, transpired, which it
may be interesting to mention.
In 1671, as a result of heavy rains, there occurred
a destructive slide from the summit of the bluff, which
precipitated a large quantity of earth upon the lower
town, destroying houses, burying thirty persons alive,
and filling up half of the Praya. The city fathers, in
representing this disaster to the king, state that the
Church of the Conception would also have been de
stroyed, but for a special miracle of the Holy Sacra
ment and the Virgin. The burden of their grief was
not that thirty persons lost their lives, but that these
persons died without confession, it being impossible to
succor them, as the accident occurred in the night.
Similar slides have frequently occurred in the history
of Bahia, notwithstanding the expenditure of immense
sums in endeavoring to prevent them.
In 1686 Bahia, together with Pernambuco and the
intervening country, was visited with a destructive
pest denominated the bicha. This pest was generally
believed to have originated with a cargo of putrid
meat, which arrived at Pernambuco from the island of
St. Thomas. A person opening one of the barrels fell
instantly dead. The contagion spread itself with such
fatal rapidity to the city and its suburbs, that in a few
days two thousand persons perished. This terrible
disorder reached Bahia with the first news of it, and
some days not less than two hundred there died. Most
of the victims died on the day the disease attacked
them, and few survived the ninth day. The symptoms

40 PATRON SAINT.
were fever, stagnation of the blood, delirium, and vo
mitings of blood.
This is the only instance I have seen recorded in the
history of the country of any similar pest. The plague
and the Asiatic cholera have never desolated Brazil.
Although many causes exist in some of the cities fa
vorable to pestilential diseases, yet the general salu
brity of the air, and equability of the temperature, are
in the highest degree conducive to health. Accioli
mentions that three years before this dreadful visitation,
a Jesuit astrologist, by the name of Estancel, on ac
count of two eclipses which occurred near each other,
had prognosticated that great calamities were about to
fall upon the country. The appearance of this pest
established with many his credit as a soothsayer.
When suffering under this affliction, the people, by
advice of their captain-general, resolved to assemble
together and make choice of a patron saint for the city,
who, on the present and other similar occasions, might
obtain favors and mercies for them at the hand of the
Lord. They accordingly met and spent the day toge
ther at the Jesuits' college. Their choice fell upon St.
Francis Xavier ; whereupon they carried out his image
in solemn procession through the town. But in order
that his intercessions might be availing, it was not only
necessary for them to promise the new padroeiro an
annual festa, with a procession; but also to secure an
approval of their act severally from the king, the pope,
and the archbishop. Such approvals, however, were in
course of time obtained.
I subjoin that from the king of Portugal, as a rare
and curious document :

41
"I, the King, make known, that having respect to
what has been represented to me by the Camara Mu
nicipal of the city of Bahia, that during the pest which
has recently raged in that city, the citizens and people
have selected for their protector and patron saint St.
Francis Xavier, the glorious apostle of the east, mak
ing a vow and a promise, that annually, on the 10th
day of May (the day on which the choice was made)
they would celebrate a feast in his honor with a pro
cession ; and since their vows and promises have no
validity without my approbation, they have besought
me to pass an order of approval to their act, and also
to provide for the expense of said festa. Wherefore,
having considered the whole subject, I have been
pleased to approve of the selection of that glorious
apostle of the east, St. Francis Xavier, as a patron
saint for Bahia, and also to approve of the vows by
which the inhabitants have promised to solemnize the
10th of May, annually, with a procession in his honor.
Moreover, I order that the officers of said Camara
fulfil their promise, and that the provedor of the Co-
marca pay the expenses which shall annually be made
in the said procession; and that my governor, captain-
general, and other officers, comply with this order, and
cause it to be complied with without any hesitation.
"The King.
"Lisbon, 3d March, 1687."
The procession thus established, was annually cele
brated up to 1828.
In 1690, under the government of Luiz Gonzalves
da Camara Coutinho, considerable improvements were
made in the agriculture of the country. Pepper and
Vol. II.— 6 d2

42 MUTINY QUELLED BY THE WAFER.
cinnamon from India were introduced into Brazil, and
distributed to various provinces. The barbarity and
sanguinary cruelty with which many slaves in the pro
vince were treated, caused the king of Portugal to
issue an order in 1700, for the punishment of masters
who had been guilty of certain excesses, and enjoining
more humane conduct in future.
In 1711 this coast was infested by pirates, whose
object was to intercept the gold exported from the
mines. Government found it necessary to keep a
man-of-war on the coast to protect its shipping ; and
for the support of the cruizer, levied an impost of ten
per cent, on goods imported. This last circumstance
gave rise to a mob, which the governor of Bahia was
unable to quell. In this juncture the archbishop
brought the "arms of religion" to bear in support of
law and order. Surrounded by his canons and the
brotherhood of the sacrament, and bearing a vial con
taining the consecrated wafer, he presented himself to
the rioters and caused them immediately to disperse..
A few years after, at an execution, some part of the
scaffold gave way, and one of the criminals fell to the
earth alive. Hitherto in such events, the Misericordia
flag thrown over the criminal had saved his life. On
this occasion it was used in vain. The constable in
charge of the execution heeded not the interposition,
but thrust the prisoner through. The populace sided
with the brethren of the Misericordia, and en masse
demanded the punishment of the constable ; but the
governor refused, notwithstanding threats of violence.
A carta regia confirmed his course, and ordered, that
in case of similar accidents thereafter, the sentence
should still be executed.

GIPSIES. 43
In 1718 several gipsy families arrived in Bahia,
concerning whom the king of Portugal transmitted the
following order to the viceroy :
"I, Don John, by the grace of God, &c, make
known to you, that I have been pleased to banish to
your city various gipsies — men, women, and children —
on account of their bad and scandalous conduct in this
kingdom. They are ordered to go in different vessels
bound for your port ; and since I have forbidden them,
by a recent law, the use of their accustomed lingo, I
also order you to enforce that law under the threatened
penalties, and not to allow them to teach said tongue
to their children, so that its use and practice may here
after become extinct."
The gipsies were found to be as unmanageable in
Brazil as they had been in Europe. One of the sub
urbs of Bahia was allotted to their use, which is still
denominated Mouraria. They multiplied so fast, and
plied their arts so industriously, that about thirty years
afterwards a decree was passed to expel them from
the province. One of the charges recorded against
them, was the disorder they introduced into the troops
of horses and mules coming from the mines, stealing
those animals by night in spite of every precaution of
the mineiros.
On the night of the 17th March, 1721, there oc
curred such a tremendous storm of thunder and light
ning, as had never before been witnessed. For a time
it seemed to threaten the destruction of the city, caus
ing some houses on the hill-sides to fall. The storm,
however, passed by, and a thanksgiving procession was

44 MONASTICISM.
instituted in memory of the preservation of the inha
bitants. The procession has been continued ever since.
In 1727, the pillory, which had long stood in front
of the Jesuits' College, was removed, on the repre
sentation of the provincial of that order, that the
executions which took place there had a tendency to
interrupt their acts of worship. It was again erected,
by order of the Municipal Chamber, in the neighbor
hood of the Benedictine convent. Perhaps the city
fathers thought the Benedictines had cooler blood, and
would not be so easily excited by the operations of the
whipping-post. The Viceroy Conde de Galveas, in
1739, made representation to the crown, of the injury
the country was suffering from the redundancy of mo-
nasticism. So great a number of females had become
nuns, and so many men devoted themselves to the
ecclesiastical state, that during the four years of his
administration there had only been two marriages of
persons of quality; and even among the lower classes,
marriages were few in proportion to the population.
And many of those that occurred, appeared to be
prompted less by the fear of God, than by a desire to
escape the liabilities of being pressed into the army.
The position of Bahia, opposite the coast of Africa,
caused it to be, from early times, an important ren
dezvous for those engaged in the African slave-trade.
The offensive ideas now associated with that traffic,
among all enlightened nations, are strangely in con
trast with the semblance of philanthropy, under which
it was originally carried on. It is true, that interest
was the first thing looked at then as well now. The
country was in need of cultivation, and the planters
were in need of laborers. But then their condition

THE SLAVE TRADE. 45
was in no way so pitiable as that of thousands of poor
negroes in Africa, who had been captured in the wars
of different tribes against one another, and who might
be tortured and sacrificed if they were not redeemed.
What a worthy enterprise, then, to send vessels to
ransom those poor pagan captives, and bring them
where they could be Christianized by baptism, and at
the same time lend a helping hand to those who had
been so kind as to purchase them out of heathen
bondage, and bring them to a Christian country ! Ex
pressive of such ideas, the bland title by which the
buying and selling of human beings was known, during
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, was the
commerce for the ransom of slaves.
A dispatch from D. Joseph, king of Portugal, to the
viceroy of Brazil, in the year 1756, lies before me,
from which it appears, that he had received represen
tations from the Camara of Bahia, together with vari
ous cultivators of sugar and tobacco in the province,
informing him of a monopoly that had sprung up in
the business of ransoming slaves ; whereupon the au
gust monarch, with that royal and paternal solicitude
which had inclined him, repeatedly, to regulate this
most important branch of the commerce of his vassals,
decreed, by and with the advice of the ultra-marine
counsel, 1. "That this commerce should thenceforward be
free to every one, not only in the ports before resorted
to, but in all the ports of Africa, both within and be
yond the Cape of Good Hope.
2. " But that, in order to avoid the evil of having
too large vessels employed, and a bad selection of
provisions, the boards of inspection in Bahia, Pernam-

46 REGULATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS.
buco, and Parahiba, should examine, with all care, thi
cargo and provisions of each ship fitted out, seeing
that these were suitable, and that the vessels wer<
light, not carrying at most more than three thousant
rolls of tobacco, in order that they might enter anj
port, and accomplish a good ransom at moderat*
prices. 3. "That the commander of the fort of Ajuda, 01
the coast, should prevent as much as possible tht
congregation of a number of vessels in any one port.
and allow but one vessel to buy slaves at a time."
These regulations, ostensibly planned to mitigate
the cruelty and evils of the traffic, had the effect to in
crease both an hundred fold. From that day to this,
Bahia has been a great mart for the slave-trade.

ARRIVAL OF DON JOHN VI. 47

CHAPTER III.
Transfer of the Capital. — Arrival of Don John VI. — Carta Regia. —
First Printing Press. — Public Library. — Steam Sugar-Mill. — Execu
tion of a Priest. — Civil War of 1822. — War of Independence. — Expul
sion of the Portuguese. — Rebellion of 1837. — Second entrance to
Bahia. — Festivities of the Emperor's Birth-day. — Te Deum. — Illu
mination. — Excursion up the Bay. — Beauties of Bahia. — Henry
Martyn. — Fire- works.
In 1763, the seat of the vice-royalty was transferred
from Bahia to Rio de Janeiro.
Up to this time, not less than forty-four governors-
general and viceroys had held the reins of power at
Bahia. They were men of widely different characters,
and of various capacities for government. But the
system they pursued was one, — the absolute, — in all
its rigor. Although some of these officiaries were men
of science, and seemed anxious to develop the re
sources of the country, yet that was an object impossi
ble of accomplishment, under the narrow and exclusive
policy of Portugal. Nor was it till the arrival of the
royal family, in 1808, that any thing like a liberal
or enlightened policy was pursued towards this or any
other portion of the great colony of Brazil.
Great were the rejoicings, and splendid were the
festivities, given upon that occasion. The citizens of
Bahia besought Don John VI. to remain, and establish
his court among them. They offered to construct and
present to him a majestic palace. But the wide mouth
of the bay, and the difficulty of effectually fortifying
the harbor, was a weighty objection to the city as a

48 CARTA REGIA.
residence for royalty. The prince regent, therefore,
resolved to pass on to Rio de Janeiro. But, before
the fleet weighed anchor, he communicated to the
Count de Ponte, the governor of Bahia, that celebrated
document, the CARTA REGIA, by which the ports of
Brazil were opened.
Having already intimated my views respecting this
measure in a former chapter, I will here subjoin the
remarks of a Brazilian author, the senator, the vis
count of Cayru, an individual, whose celebrity as a
writer gained him the honor of being officially appoint
ed to compose, under the patronage of government, a
history of Brazil. He did not live to accomplish this
task, although he left behind him several works to
justify his fame. In his Memorias dos beneficios politicos
do governo do Rei D. Jodo, VI., having said that the
royal edict in question was much superior, both in
motive and effect, to the magna charta of England, he
proceeds : —
"By that immortal diploma, he conferred an inesti
mable inheritance upon this terrestrial paradise, where
flourish the crowned heads of the vegetable world ;
trees that blossom from the trunk to the vertex ; health-
giving plants, that banish death to a remote old age;
and, besides, a thousand other equivalents for the
riches of the globe ; those princely fruits, which the
poets and enthusiasts of natural history have named
ambrozia— food for the gods. Opening the ports,
without reserve, to foreign commerce, he established a
direct correspondence between this and foreign nations,
by which the people of Brazil will be enabled to enjoy,
through the wealth that nature has given them, what
art has secured to other states, besides an exuberant

A PRIEST EXECUTED. 49
supply of population, and a perpetual stimulus to in
dustry." As a worthy sequence to this event, a printing-press
was established in Bahia, in 1811. A gazette, entitled
the Golden Age, was soon after commenced; but to
guard this press against taking too great liberties, a
board of censors was appointed by the archbishop.
At the same period the public library was founded,
through the liberality of individuals.
In the year 1815, the first steam sugar-mill was
introduced, from England, by one Colonel Cardozo,
who, as a reward for his enterprise, was decorated
with the insignia of the order of Christ.
In 1817, while a revolution was in progress in Per
nambuco, the governor of Bahia, the count dos Arcos,
received intimations that plans were on foot to excite
similar outbreaks in the other provinces.
About the same time a priest, by the name of Roma,
landed near the harbor of Bahia, having made the
voyage from Pernambuco on a jangada. He was ar
rested in the act of stepping on shore, taken before a
military commission, and more on the ground of sus
picion than of proof, that he came to disseminate
revolutionary sentiments, he was condemned to death,
and forthwith shot in the campo da Polvora.
The revolution of Portugal, in 1820, in favor of a
constitution, found an immediate response in Bahia.
After this, the former governor refused to continue in
office, whereupon a provisional junta was appointed,
which entered upon the responsibilities of government,
" protesting before the Almighty and all the saints of the
celestial court, their adhesion to the provisional junta
of Portugal, and to the new order of things established."
Vol. II.— 7 E

50 CIVIL WAR.
At this period, rivalries between the Portuguese
and native Brazilians began to be seriously fomented.
Disorders and violence soon broke out. The Portu
guese soldiery committed various outrages. They
broke open private houses, and even violated a con
vent, assassinating the abbess, maltreating the chap
lain, and causing the nuns to fly to another convent for
refuge. Bahia was now, for the first time, plunged into the
horrors of a civil war. Scenes of discord and fraternal
bloodshed then began to be enacted, with which, by
repeated experience, she has since become but too fa
miliar. Thousands of citizens deserted their houses,
and fled whithersoever they could, so that the city was
nearly deserted, save by contending soldiers. The
Portuguese, under General Madeira, gained possession
of the city ; not less than two thousand persons on both
sides having fallen in mutual massacre. Don John VI.
had now returned to Portugal ; and Don Pedro, the
prince regent, on learning the disastrous state of Ba
hia, immediately ordered General Madeira to embark
with his troops for the mother country. This order
was dated June, 1822, only three months before the
declaration of Brazilian independence. Madeira re
fused to obey, although some of his troops were sent
on board ship, as if for that purpose.
In a short time, an additional supply of troops ar
rived from Lisbon, to support him in the position he
had taken. The anti-Brazilian faction now become
more insolent than ever. Various methods were de
vised for insulting and aggravating the native Bra
zilians. This conduct went so far as even to cause a
procession in honor of S. Joseph to be interrupted.

WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 51
The images were broken by showers of stones, and
the devotees scattered through fear of danger. Even
the friars of the convent of Santa Thereza joined the
Portuguese ranks, laying aside their religious character,
and performing deeds altogether disgraceful. At the
same time, in Cachoeiras and most other towns of the
reconcave, as well as throughout the province gene
rally, the people had declared in favor of Don Pedro
and the Brazilian cause.
The provisional junta already mentioned being
found to have no efficiency, the inhabitants of Cacho
eiras and the neighboring country proceeded to or
ganize temporary governments, which should adhere to
the regency of Don Pedro. At this juncture, General
Labatut arrived from Rio, with orders to organize an
army to expel the Portuguese, in case they did not
voluntarily withdraw. He first visited the provinces
of Alagoas and Sergipe, parts of which were, up to this
time, under Portuguese authority. He there met with
but little opposition, and soon left that entire region in
a state of loyalty to the prince regent. In attempting
to organize an effective army in the reconcave of
Bahia, he met with difficulty, owing to the lack of men
and means. He however employed all the resources
within his reach, and made considerable progress. By
the month of October the war of independence was
fairly opened, and Bahia was destined to be the theatre
of the principal struggle. Portuguese emigrants from
all parts of the country fled there, to seek refuge and
to enlist as soldiers. Naval and military reinforcements
also arrived from Lisbon. But this augmentation of
strength brought with it serious difficulties. Provisions
were growing scarce, and the supplies they had hitherto

52 EXPULSION OF THE PORTUGUESE.
received from the neighboring provinces were now
effectually cut off.
On the 8th of November the Portuguese made an
attack upon one of the points occupied by the Brazil
ians, but were beaten back with a signal defeat. This
circumstance powerfully encouraged the patriots.
In another engagement, about the close of Decem
ber, a Brazilian lieutenant was killed, who had per
suaded himself that nothing could injure him, on
account of a written prayer which he wore upon his
breast. Contrary to orders, he continued to expose
himself to the enemy's fire, and was shot.
Various skirmishes took place, but nothing decisive ,
occurred up to May, 1823, when, through dissensions
that unhappily prevailed in the Brazilian ranks,
Labatut was deposed from his command, a native
Brazilian being appointed in his place. About the
same time Lord Cochrane, who had been engaged
by the government of Don Pedro to come from the
coast of Chili and take command of the Brazilian
navy, arrived off Bahia with a small squadron. Lord
Cochrane detached two of his fastest sailing vessels to
blockade the Portuguese in the harbor ; this they very
effectually accomplished, capturing various small craft
sent out to procure supplies.
Thus, besieged by land and blockaded by sea, the
Portuguese in Bahia were reduced to a state of star
vation. Slaves were actually dying in the streets from
hunger. General Madeira was now obliged to evacuate the
city. On the night of the first of July his men em
barked, taking with them the church plate, and most
of the moveable wealth of the town. Many of the mer-

REVOLUTION OF 1837. 53
chants also embarked, taking with them all their pro
perty. At daylight, the next morning, the Brazilian
army took up the line of march and entered the city,
while the enemy's fleet was engaged in weighing an
chor and moving out of the harbor. The inhabitants
that remained, among whom are mentioned the nuns
of -the convent of Solidade, employed themselves in
erecting triumphal arches, and preparing wreaths and
chaplets to place upon the heads of their victorious
countrymen. Those vessels of the Brazilian squadron which were
qualified for the service, pursued the Portuguese fleet,
and succeeded in making a series of captures. The
second of July was subsequently made a half holiday
for Bahia, in commemoration of this restoration.
Added now to the empire, and tranquilized by the
presence of Brazilian authorities, Bahia recovered by
degrees from the losses she had suffered during the
hostile occupation of the Portuguese, and commenced
again to grow with the growth of the country.
Without pausing to enumerate the slight disorders
that, at different times, have interrupted the quietness
and prosperity of Bahia, I will briefly notice the rebel
lion of 1837. A revolution had been plotted in secret
by some ambitious persons, who contrived, by a simul
taneous movement, on the 7th day of November, to
get possession of the forts commanding the town. In
a short time the city was in their power. The president
and authorities, together with vast numbers of the citi
zens, were obliged to flee. The legal government of
the province was transferred to the island of Itaparica.
The insurgents were from among the lower classes
of the people, and were instigated and led on by a few
e2

54 SECOND VISIT TO BAHIA.
reckless individuals. None of these, however, had the
talent to administer the usurped government they at
tempted to establish. They had none to sympathize
with them in any quarter; and, as might have been
expected, their career, though violent and sanguinary,
was brief.
The imperial government at Rio sent naval and
military forces to the aid of the president, and a bat
talion of soldiers soon arrived from Pernambuco. In
the course of a few months the army of the legalists
triumphed, being led into the city by the brave Colonel
Coelho. The leaders of the insurrection were thrown
into prison, and more than two hundred accomplices
were sent as prisoners to the island of Fernando de
Noronha. This revolution, although it neither endured
long, nor spread widely, yet was a serious blow to the
prosperity of the city and province of Bahia. Business
was interrupted, public confidence was destroyed, ani
mosities were provoked, and the seeds of future dis
cord were sown. These have subsequently sprung up,
and produced the fruits of anarchy in frequent and
remorseless assassinations, intrigues, and tumults at
elections, and quite recently in farther outbreaks.
After having accomplished my tour along the north
ern coast, I again entered the harbor of Bahia, on
board a Brazilian steam packet from the north. It
was late in the evening, on the last day of November;
and, as the Pernambucana rounded the cape of San
Antonio, and passed up to her anchorage in front of
the city, volleys of rockets shot up in irregular succes
sion from the heights above us, careering with fiery
and serpentine track through the dark expanse of a
clouded sky. Their innocent crackling resounded like

ANNUAL FESTIVITIES. 55
distant musketry, mingling with the peal of many a
deep-toned bell, which, from church, cathedral and
convent, announced approaching festivities.
The Bahians were preparing to celebrate the birth
day of their youthful Emperor, the 2d of December.
This anniversary is, throughout the nation, a favorite
one among the several dias de grande gala, or politi
cal holidays. Of these the Brazilians celebrate six.
The 1st of January heads the list with New Year's
compliments to his Majesty. The 25th of March com
memorates the adoption of the constitution. The 7th.
of April is the anniversary of the Emperor's accession
to the throne. The 3d of May is the day for opening
the sessions of the national Assembly. The 7th of
September is the anniversary of the declaration of the
national independence ; while the last in the catalogue
.is the 2d of December, the Emperor's birth-day. On
all these days, except the 3d of May, his Majesty holds
court in the palace at Rio. Presidents of provinces,
as the special representatives of the crown, follow the
example of their sovereign, by holding levee in the
several provincial capitals ; but they do not presume
to receive imperial honors in their own person. The
place of honor in their sola de cortejo, is always allot
ted to the portrait of his Majesty. Near by, as the
special representative of the throne, the president takes
his place, accompanied perchance by the bishop. Be
fore these, in measured step, pass the dignitaries in
vited, in the order of their rank and distinction, pay
ing their obeisance severally to the imperial portrait.
After this ceremony, mutual compliments are ex
changed by the individuals present, and the company
breaks up.

56 A DECEMBER MORNING.
It was no ordinary celebration that was to take
place at this time. During the recent session of the
national Assembly at Rio de Janeiro, it had been more
than intimated that the Bahians generally were doubt
ful inrfheir loyalty. Not relishing such insinuations,
they had resolved to make a display on this occasion,
which, from its unexampled magnificence, should not
only demonstrate their fidelity to the throne, but should
throw even the metropolis into the shade. In addition
to the usual cortejo, there were to be ceremonies for
.three successive days, and illuminations for as many
nights. On the first day there was to be a grand Te
Deum, with a sermon ; on the second, a military ball
at the palace ; and on the third, an unrivaled exhibi
tion of fire-works, on Victoria hill, at the Campo de S.
Pedro. The 2d of December came. It was not clad in the
frosty robes of a northern winter, with whistling winds
and drifted snow at its heels. Nay, the north is not
farther from the south, than is the idea many a reader
has pictured in his imagination, at the bare mention
of December, from the reality of the day in question.
Preceded by but a brief interval of twilight, the sun
threw upward his mellowest rays, burnishing the
wreathed clouds of the eastern horizon. Presently
from his bed of ocean he rose majestic on his vertical
pathway, looking down on one of the fairest scenes
nature ever presented to the eye of man. The bound
less expanse of the Atlantic on the east ; the broad
and beautiful bay on the south and west, with its palm-
crested islands and circling mountains, were but an
appropriate foreground to the lovely picture of the
city herself, reposing like a queen of beauty amid the

THE EMPEROR'S BIRTH-DAY. 57
embowering groves of the proud eminences over which
her huts, her temples, and her lordly domes were
scattered. The day was ushered in by the roar of cannon from
the several batteries and vessels of war. From that
moment might be seen the shipping of every nation
in the harbor, gaily decked with flags, signals, and
streamers of unnumbered hues. No girlish fancy ever
prided itself more on the gaudy ornaments of a doll
than does the seamen's, on an occasion like this, in
" rigging out" from every mast, yard, brace, stay and
bowline of his vessel, some appropriate bunting to float
in the playful breeze.
Being much occupied in the morning, I did not reach
the cathedral in time to listen to the discourse which
preceded the Te Deum. It was said to have been de
livered with vehement gesticulations, and to have con
tained allusions to almost every other nation except
the heretical and republican United States. It em
braced, moreover, a complimentary section for the
special gratification of the president, and another for
the archbishop. During the recitation of the latter,
according to the observation of those who were near
at hand, the learned metropolitan appeared to be en
joying a profound sleep! Lest any one should sup
pose this circumstance argued on his part a lack of
interest in what was going on, it ought to be mention
ed, that, while the day was very warm, and the cathe
dral densely crowded, much more care had been taken
to adorn that immense edifice with splendid hangings,
than to secure for it a good ventilation. Under such
circumstances, an attack of drowsiness would be almost
irresistible ! However, his reverence was on hand to
Vol. II.— 8

58 PASSEIO PUBLICO.
perform with due ceremony the priestly office in the
Te Deum Laudamus, which act terminated at 3 o'clock
P. M. At this moment there was a discharge of rockets
in front of the cathedral, and a general salute of artil
lery from the guns of the forts and shipping. The
scene was now transferred to the government palace,
the old residence of the viceroys, where the cortejo
took place. At the same time the troops of the city,
to the number of two thousand five hundred, were pa
raded in the palace square, and in the streets leading
from the cathedral to that place. These, together with
all the other principal streets, had been adorned by
silk and damask hangings from the windows, — the na
tional colors, yellow and green, being most frequent
and most admired. The illumination which took place
at night throughout the city, but specially at the Pas-
seio Publico, was, of all other parts of the celebration,
most interesting to me.
The public promenade of Bahia is located on the
boldest and most commanding height of the whole
town. One of its sides looks towards the ocean, and
another up the bay, while nothing but an iron railing
guards the visitor against the danger of falling over
the steep precipice by which its whole front is border
ed. For airiness, this locality is not even surpassed by
the battery of New York, while its sublime elevation
throws the last mentioned place into an unfavorable
contrast. The space allotted to the battery is greater,
and is laid out in better taste ; but the variety and rich
ness of the trees and flowers of the Passeio Publico of
Bahia fully compensate its deficiency in those respects.
Here it was, under the dark dense foliage of the man-
gueiras, the lime trees, the bread fruit, the cashew, and

GAYETY AND FASHION. 59
countless other trees of tropical growth, that about
nine thousand lights were blazing. Most of these hung
in long lines of transparent globes, so constructed as to
radiate severally the principal hues of the rainbow, and
waved gracefully in the' evening breeze as it swept
along, laden with the fragrance of opening flowers.
The calmness of summer evenings always throws an
enchantment over the feelings ; but there was a pecu
liar richness in this scene. Not only was the observer
delighted with the varied and skillful exhibitions of arti
ficial light around him ; but, lifting his eyes above them
to the vaulted empyrean, he might there gaze upon
the handiwork of the Almighty, so gloriously displayed
in the bright constellations of the southern sky.
The wealth, fashion, and beauty of the Bahians
never boasted a more felicitous display, than was mu
tually furnished and witnessed by the thousands that
thronged this scene. What an occasion was here
offered to the mind disposed to philosophize on man.
From hoary age to playful youth — no condition of life
or style of character was unrepresented. The war
rior and the civilian, the man of title, the millionaire
and the slave, all mingled in the common rejoicings ;
while the practised eye would not have failed to dis
cern in the crowd, the lurking desperado and assassin.
Never, especially, had the presence of females in such
numbers, been observed to grace a scene of public fes
tivity. Mothers, daughters, wives and sisters, who
seldom were permitted to leave the domestic circle,
except in their visits to the morning mass, hung upon
the arm of their several protectors, and gazed with un-
dissembled wonder at the seemingly magic enchant
ments before and around them. The dark and flowing

60 MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTION.
tresses, the darker and flashing eye of a Brazilian
belle, together with her sometimes darkly shaded cheek,
show off with greater charms from not being hid un
der the arches of a fashionable bonnet. The graceful
folds of her mantilla, or of the rich gossamer vail
which is sometimes its substitute, wreathed in some
indescribable manner over the broad, high, and fancy-
wrought shell that adorns her head, can scarcely be
improved by any imitation of foreign fashions. Never
theless, the forte of a Brazilian lady is in her guitar,
and the soft modinhas she sings in accompaniment to
its tones.
Besides its walks and its natural scenery, the Pas-
seio Publico presented two objects of special attraction.
One was, the marble monument erected in memory of
Don John's visit to Bahia. Long and learned inscrip
tions, in Latin, had been set with solid gold in its
quadrilateral tablet, to explain its design. But some
Vandal hand had chiselled out the precious metal, thus
marring the beauty and splendor of the structure.
On this occasion illuminated forms, fitted to the peer
ing shafts of the monument, displayed with large and
brilliant letters the following extravaganzas :
1.
Entre as negras borrascas que negrejao
Es o nosso Santelmo 6 Grande Pedro.
2.
Mil vezes traga o sol,
O natal do Monarcha Brazileiro,
Pelas suas virtudes sobre o Throno,
Assombre o murido inteiro. 3.
Pedro esse nome Augusto,
Simboliza uniao, integridade

EXCURSION UP THE BAV. 61
Prosperidade e ordem,
Paz, duracao grandeza e liberdade.
4.
Salve 6 dois de Dezembro magestozo,
Exulta 6 Patria salve o Grande dia,
Sob os auspicios teos a liberdade
Florece, passo a par com a monarchia.
In another quarter, upon a high parapet overlooking
the sea and bay, had been constructed a fancy pavillion,
in the style of an Athenian temple. In front of this,
supported by the central columns, had been placed a
full-length portrait of his Majesty, that day fourteen
years old. In the saloons of this palacete were sta
tioned bands of music, surrounded by ladies and dig
nitaries of the province. The portrait of the Emperor
was concealed by a curtain until a given hour of the
evening, when the president made his appearance, and
suddenly drawing it up, gave successive vivas to his
Majesty, the imperial family, the Brazilian nation, and
the people of Bahia ; all of which were responded to
with deafening acclamations from the multitude around,
while the heavens above were emblazoned with the
discharge of a thousand rockets.
The next day I availed myself of an opportunity of
making an excursion among the islands of the bay. A
small iron steamboat, of light draft, had been adver
tised for the occasion ; and by ten o'clock, the hour of
sailing, about one hundred persons had collected on
board. The majority of the passengers appeared to
be foreigners. Besides Brazilians and Portuguese,
groups of English, Germans and French, were here
thrown together ; while a few North Americans were
not wanting. Each party had provided its own prot-
visions, anticipating a pic-nic. F

62 ITAPARICA — BOM JESUS.
The day was fine, and the weather as charming as
could be wished. We first steered for Itaparica, and
promptly traversed the nine miles intervening between
the city and that island. Passing round the upper ex
tremity of the island, we came to its principal port, and
went on shore by means of canoes that immediately
gathered around the steamboat. Here we found a villa
defended by a fort, having two churches, and about
three hundred small, low houses.
It was here that the seat of the provincial govern
ment had been transferred during the late revolution.
Here thousands of people had been obliged to resort
for business and for safety. That so many persons
could have lived so long as they were obliged to, in
such narrow and inconvenient quarters, would never
have been believed, had not war and threatened de
struction forced them to make the trial. After having
walked through the streets of the villa of Itaparica, we
ascended a neighboring eminence, on which had been
stationed the look-outs of the legalist troops, and from
which we enjoyed a fine view of the bay and various
islands in the vicinity.
At one P. M. we sailed, and next touched at Bom Jesus,
a small island situated on the south side of the Ilha
dos Frades. Here were a Matriz, or mother church,
and a few small dwellings, located without order on the
praya. Owing to the shortness of time and a scarcity
of canoes, I did not go on shore. Those passengers
who did, gave a favorable account of the people. One
of them brought me a beautiful shell, picked up on the
praya. This circumstance gives occasion to remark,
that some splendid collections, both of marine and land

Sn,,

BEAUTIES OP BAHIA. 63
shells, have been made on the islands and shores of
this bay.
Returning, we passed near other islands, which, with
their small villages, appeared exceedingly picturesque.
As the sun was setting we passed by the small pro
montory of Bom Fim, and enjoyed a perfect view of
the city.
What can be more beautiful than those extended
and curving lines of whitened buildings — the one upon
the heights, the other upon the water's edge — every
where separated by a broad, rich belt of green, itself
here and there dotted with houses. Nowhere does the
uniformity of whitened walls and red-tiled roofs show
to finer advantage, in contrast with the luxuriant vege
tation that surrounds them. In fact, there are few
cities that can present a single view of more imposing
beauty than does Bahia, to a person beholding it from
a suitable distance on the water. Even Rio de Janeiro
can hardly be cited for such a comparison. That city
excels in the endless variety of its beautiful suburbs;
yet I should be at a loss to point out one which, in all
respects, equals that part of Bahia known. as the Vic
toria hill. In Rio, one section competes with another,
and each offers some ground of preference; but in
Bahia, the superiorities seem all to be united in one
section, leaving the foreigner no room for doubt or dis
cussion respecting the best quarter for locating his re
sidence. On the Victoria hill may be found the finest
gardens that Bahia affords, the most enchanting walks,
and the most ample shade.. Here too are the best
houses, the best air, the best water, and the best
society. The walls of two ancient and extensive forts,
also add very much to the romance and historical in-

64 HENRY MARTYN.
terest of the place. In fine, he who looks for any one
spot that combines more of external beauty than does
that to which I refer, will roam long and widely over the
face of the earth. Yet it was here that Henry Martyn,
who incidentally touched at this port on his passage to
India, forty years ago, sighed and sung —
''¦ O'er the gloomy hills of darkness,
Sit my soul, be still and gaze."
That the moral aspect of the place has since under
gone any manifest change, is not to be presumed, since
no causes have been at work that contemplated such a
change. Facts will soon appear calculated to illustrate
this subject, and to give point to the remark of Martyn:
"Crosses there are in abundance, but when shall the
doctrines of the cross be held up?"
On Wednesday the festivities of the great national
anniversary terminated with a pyrotechnic display.
The Passeio Publico was illuminated more brilliantly
than before, and all the gardens surrounding the
Campo de San Pedro were lighted up with torches and
bonfires. A large platform had been erected in the
centre of this square, upon which the Emperor's por
trait was again exhibited — the archbishop assisting
the president to roll up the curtain from before it at
the appointed hour. The concourse of people was
vastly greater than it had been on any previous even
ing. The weather was without interruption serene
and beautiful, but neither the plan nor execution of
the fire-works deserved high commendation. Yet all
the bustle and crowd passed away, as on the previous
nights, without the slightest disturbance. This fact
was certainly a happy comment upon the orderly dis-

CIVIC CELEBRATION. 65
position of the people. I witnessed no funcgdo in Brazil
which was, on the whole, more interesting to me than
this. Its superiority over the exhibitions of the usual
religious festivals was manifest. In fact, the simple
circumstance that it was a civic celebration, and des
titute of any religious pretensions, went far to com-
« mend it to the admiration of any one who had often
been shocked by those incongruous medleys of the
solemn and the ridiculous, which are by many thought
essential to the " pomp and splendor" of religious an
niversaries.

Vol. II.— 9 w 2

66 AMERICAN CEMETERY.

CHAPTER IV.
American Cemetery. — Image Factories. — Ecclesiastical Establish
ment. — Franciscan Monks. — Miraculous Image. — Promotion of St.
Anthony. — Benedictines. —Carmelites. — Nunneries. — Recolhimen- •
tos. — Capuchins. — Missionary Enterprise. — Comments of the Arch
bishop. — Examination in Logic. — Style of Argumentation. — Visit, to
a Nunnery. — Dissemination of Scriptures. — Bethel Service. — Com
merce. — Slave Trade. — Excursion to Bom-Fim.
Bahia is the only town in Brazil in which there
exists an American cemetery, or a place of interment
belonging to citizens of the United States. The Eng
lish being much more numerous, and besides, being
assisted by the funds of their government to procure
places of interment, as well as to build churches and
support chaplains in foreign countries, have cemeteries
in nearly every town of importance. Nor are British
subjects only, benefited by this noble policy of their
government. Protestants of all nations, and citizens
of the United States especially, are under great obli
gations for the privilege of interment in the English
cemeteries — a privilege which has been magnani
mously and almost uniformly extended to them. But
for that privilege our citizens would often be greatly
embarrassed, particularly in Catholic countries, for
want of a place to bury their dead. The case in ques
tion proves this. The private, though liberal subscrip
tions of our countrymen, who have visited or resided
in Bahia for a series of years, have scarcely sufficed to
purchase, and suitably ornament, the small spot of
ground that had been designated for an American

image factories. 67
cemetery. Surely such an enterprise ought not to be
left by our government entirely to private generosity.
This cemetery is located on the water side, under the
brow of Victoria hill. It as yet contains but a few
graves, and several of those were allotted to citizens
of other nations than our own. Tall green grass was
growing over them, but no suitable gateway had been
constructed to mark the entrance to the spot.
During a walk one morning, in the lower town, my
attention was called to various fabricas de imagens—
image manufactories. Saints, crucifixes, and every
species of the ghostly paraphernalia of Romanism were
here exhibited in the shops, with a profusion that I no
where else saw, indicating that the traffic in these arti
cles was more flourishing here than in other parts. It
is not in name only that Bahia enjoys the ecclesiasti
cal supremacy of Brazil. It is the seat of the only
archbishopric in the empire. Its churches exceed in
number, and in sumptuousness, those of any other
city; and its convents are said to contain more friars
and more nuns than those of all the empire besides.
These being the facts, it will be in place for me here
to dwell a little upon the ecclesiastical history of Ba
hia, for which the work of Accioli furnishes a rich fund
of material.
The early introduction of Roman Catholicism into
Brazil was principally due to the Jesuits, of whose his
tory I design to treat in another chapter. Other orders
of monks, e. g. the Franciscans, the Benedictines, and
the Carmelites, also established themselves in the coun
try at an early day. Bahia was made a bishopric as
early as 1557. After the lapse of a century and a
quarter it was elevated to the dignity of a metropolis,

68 ecclesiastical establishment.
having suffragan to it the bishoprics of Pernambuco,
Rio de Janeiro, St. Thomas and Angola. Subsequently
the remaining bishoprics of Brazil have been annexed
to the jurisdiction of the metropolis, while those of
Africa have been detached.
Since the establishment of this metropolis, in 1676,
not less than seventeen different persons have been
appointed to the archiepiscopal chair. The fourth in
cumbent, D. Joao Franco de Oliveira, is said by the
history before me to have been the first and the only
one, up to the present time, who has visited those pa
rishes in the interior of his diocese which lie on the
river S. Francisco. This prelate, as an exception to
his brethren, preferred the hardships connected with
the discharge of his duty to the ease of a life in the
capital. In the parishes mentioned, he confirmed not
less than forty thousand persons. For this worthy act
of labor and self-denial he received a vote of thanks
from the council of Trent. The present archbishop,
D. Romualdo de Seixas, was appointed in 1826. He
was a native of the province of Para. In addition to
his clerical functions he has repeatedly been a member
of the house of Deputies. Accioli says, that " the well-
known talents, the profound literature, and the distin
guished qualities by which he is adorned, render him
superior to eulogy." The salary of the archbishop is
two thousand four hundred milries, equal to fifteen
hundred dollars. The whole expense of the metropo
litan establishment, including the salaries of nine ca
nons, ten chaplains, and various other assistants and
dignitaries, amounts to about seven thousand two hun
dred dollars. These, like other similar expenses, are
paid from the imperial treasury.

FRANCISCAN MONKS. 69
To detail the various facts that are on record with
respect to the several monastic orders, would be a tire
some and a profitless task. A few particulars con
cerning each, may be worthy of mention as matters of
curiosity. The Franciscans have a greater income
than any of the other orders. It amounts to twelve
thousand five hundred dollars annually, and is expend
ed on a hospital for the indigent brethren, and a very
extravagant procession which they maintain on Ash
Wednesday. The chapel attached to their convent is
very large, and in it, up to the year 1754, not less than
seven thousand three hundred and fifty-eight masses
were required to be said annually. At one time there
were nearly six hundred friars connected with this
institution, but the number is now very much reduced.
The most remarkable thing at present connected with
this convent is the image of S. Antonio de Argoim,
whose mythology amounts to this:
In 1595, a fleet under the direction of some Lu
therans, sailed from France with the intention of cap
turing Bahia. On their way they attacked Argoim, a
small island on the coast of Africa belonging to the
Portuguese, and after having committed various de
predations, carried off, among other sacred things, an
image of St. Anthony.
Once more at sea, the fleet was attacked with
storms, which sunk several of the vessels. Those that
escaped this fate were assaulted with a pestilence,
during which, through" pure spite towards the Catholic
religion, the aforesaid image was thrown overboard,
having been first hacked with cutlasses. The vessel
that carried it put into a port of Sergipe, and all on
board were taken prisoners. These men were sent to

70 MIRACULOUS IMAGE.
Bahia, and the first object they saw on the praya was
the very same image they had so maltreated. It had
been cast up by the waters to confront them !
A worthy citizen obtained the image and placed it
in his private chapel; but when the Franciscans learned
what a miracle had happened, they demanded the
image, and carried it in solemn procession to their
convent. So great was its fame now, that king Philip
ordered the establishment of a grand procession in
memory of these events. And strange to tell, popu
larity did for the image what the bitter hostility of the
heretics could not do. Its friends, the friars, became
ashamed of its old and ugly appearance, and laid it
aside to make room for a more gaudy and fashionable
one, which was christened in its name, and presumed
to be the inheritor of its virtues. Having thus been
introduced to the citizens of Bahia, St. Anthony was
now enlisted as a soldier in the fortress near the barra
bearing his name.
In this capacity he received regular pay until he
was promoted to the rank of captain by the governor,
Rodrigo da Costa. The order for his promotion, which
subsequently received the royal sanction, is sufficiently
curious to merit a translation. The governor says :
" It has been represented to me by the Municipal
Chamber of this city, that in 1645 it was resolved by
the aforesaid Chamber to cause masses to be said
annually to the glorious S. Antonio of the barra, and
that a vow was made to him that, in case of the re
storation of Pernambuco, he should have an image
made of silver, a festa, and a solemn procession estab
lished on the day of the restoration. All this appears

RANK OF ST. ANTHONY. 71
in the records of the Camara; but although Pernam
buco was restored, after suffering under the oppression
and tyranny of the Dutch twenty-four years, yet said
vow has never been fulfilled. Wherefore, and because
we now more than ever need the favors of the afore
mentioned saint, both on account of the present wars
in Portugal and of those which may yet happen in
Bahia, the said Chamber has besought me, in com
memoration of the aforementioned vow, to assign to
the said glorious St. Anthony the rank and pay of a
captain in the fortress where he has hitherto only
received the pay of a common soldier.
" In obedience to this request, and subject to the
approval of the king, I therefore assign to the glorious
St. Anthony the rank of captain in the said fortress,
and order that the solicitor of the Franciscan convent
be authorized to draw, in his behalf, the regular amount
of a captain's pay.
" Rodrigo da Costa.
" Bahia, July 16, 1705."
It appears from Mr. Armitage, that this saint has
received still higher promotion in Brazil. That writer
remarked in 1835 — " S. Antonio holds, up to the pre
sent day in Rio de Janeiro, the rank of colonel in the
army, and receives his pay as such, through the hands
of his terrestrial delegates, the Franciscan monks."
The Benedictines established themselves at Bahia
in 1584. They were always inefficient as missionaries
to the Indians, although generally distinguished for
good morals and studious habits. They have managed
to acquire a large amount of property, and at present
own in Bahia ninety-three different estates, besides all
their possessions in the surrounding regions.

72 BENEDICTINES AND CARMELITES.
In 1827, the pope, according to solicitation, issued a
bull making the Brazilian Benedictines independent of
their order in Portugal. Great dissensions broke out
among them immediately after, when the election of an
abbot-general took place at Rio de Janiero. The
pope's legate attempted to interfere, but was repulsed,
and an acrimonious controversy ensued. The order
became almost extinct in the process of time, and the
National Assembly was on the point of confiscating its
possessions. The conservative policy however pre
vailed, and license has been granted them to receive
more novices.
Some of those who were admitted under the license
have, by their insubordination, been thorns in the side
of the old monks. Not long since the abbot of the
convent at Rio was obliged to call in the police of the
city to help him maintain order. The Benedictines
also, have wonderful traditions respecting a certain
image in the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Gra§a, which
was originally erected by Diogo Alvares, the man of
fire. But it is useless to detain the reader with such
fables any farther than simply to illustrate the nature
of monkish superstitions.
The Slippered Carmelites and the Barefooted Car
melites have had their day in Bahia, but have been
much more distinguished for wranglings among them
selves, and for evasions of the revenue laws, and of
their own rules forbidding them to hold property, than
for any special virtues or good works. The latter
order is now nearly or quite extinct, and the archi-
episcopal seminary occupies their convent. The monks
of the congregation of St. Philip Neri founded a. hos-
picio on the praya in 1756, but their succession having

nunneries. 73
failed, the hospicio was made a house of refuge for
orphans. The Barefooted Augustineans and a company of Al
moners of the Holy Land, at one time had each small
establishments in Bahia, but their buildings are now
appropriated to secular purposes. The Dominicans
also made an attempt to establish themselves here,
but through opposition did not succeed.
The nunneries of Bahia are in the order of their
antiquity —
1. The convent of Santa Clara do Desterro.
2. The convent of our Lady of Solitude.
3. The convent of our Lady of the Cliff.
4. The convent of our Lady of Mercy.
Besides the regular nunneries, there are two Recol-
himentos. That of St. Raymond, was only designed
to receive twelve females, and as many female serv
ants; the former having repented of the errors of the
world, and wishing to enter voluntarily, subject to the
simple condition of reciting daily, for their souls, three
salve rainhas. The other has the invocation of Senhor
Bom Jesus dos Perdoens, and admits twenty-five
recolhidas, and occasionally a few girls to receive an
education. The recluses are required to wear dresses
of dark, coarse cloth, reciting daily the Latin prayer,
designated as the officio parvo.
It only remains for me to notice the Italian Capu
chins, a class of bearded mendicants, whose filthy ap
pearance, not less than their impertinent manners, will
have been observed by every visitor to Bahia. These
monks have never been numerous in Bahia, although
a few have resided in the province from a very early
day. They have a hospicio or small convent ; and, in
Vol. II.— 10 G

74 CAPUCHINS.
connection with it, one of the most elegant and costly
chapels of the city. This church is lighted through a
large dome over the principal altar. Its side-altars
are surmounted by large paintings instead of images.
Outside the nave is a row of large and well-propor
tioned pillars, extending around the whole building.
The inner surface is white, with a moderate portion of
gilt work; and, on the whole, the edifice deserves to
rank high, in comparison with most others in the
country. There are many chapels in Brazil of greater
dimensions and of greater costliness, although but few
that have been constructed with a stricter reference to
good taste in architecture. Since the days of the Je
suits, these Capuchins have been the only ecclesiastics,
among thousands of monks and common priests, within
the archbishopric of Bahia, that have with any pro
priety been considered missionaries.
Their character is given by the Echo of Religion, a
paper published in Pernambuco, in the following terms,
which certainly are not the most complimentary to the
other clergy of the country. " The Capuchins have
never been a scandal to religion. They have always
been the type of modesty and of Catholic fervor. They
have always supplied, both in catechizing and in the
exercises of devotion, as well as in the administration
of the sacrament of penance, the idleness, the neglect,
and the simony of our other clergy, especially the secu
lar, (save the exceptions, which are not many.) While
our old Capuchin missionaries have discharged the duties
of their ministry in so edifying a manner; while they
have honored the cloister with their continence, the altar
by their fervor, and families by their counsel, our other
friars have been renouncing their vows and deserting

THEIR MISSIONARY ENTERPRISE. 75
their profession. While the Capuchins are diligent
at the confessional, receiving the tears of the faithful,
and offering them advice and consolation, our priests
(with pain the truth is told) are frequenting eating-
houses. When their appetites are satisfied they give
themselves up to gaming, to the discussion of their
neighbors' faults, and, in the end, to political brawls.
In fine, when the Capuchins are disciplining them
selves by night, our reverendos are promenading the
streets at their leisure — full of talk, it is true, but ready
to barter away, without remorse, the sacraments and
the divine offices, to those who will give the most for
them." These monks occasionally make tours into the inte
rior, and, it is said, perform wonders towards civilizing
the people. In order that the reader may have a just
idea of their operations, I will translate an account
which two of them gave of missions they had accom
plished the year I visited Bahia. This account was
published in different parts of Brazil, and lauded by the
archbishop and others, as detailing one of the most
extraordinary examples of missionary enterprise that
modern days had witnessed. It was written for the
special gratification of the prelate mentioned, and is
understood to have been called for by him, with the
particular design of furnishing an off-set to Protestant
missions that should fully and for ever eclipse their glory.
"Most Excellent and Right Reverend Sir: — Since
you wish to be informed of the particulars of our late
missions to the city of Cachoeiras and the villa of
Santa Anna, performed under your sanction, we have
the honor to satisfy your desires. We left this city on
the seventh of September, and reached Cachoeiras on

76 RESULTS OF THE MISSION.
the eighth. On the twelfth we commenced our holy mis
sion. Many people were assembled: in fact, so great
was the concourse, that on the day of the procession of
penitence, it was necessary to preach in the door of the
mother church. The confessions were innumerable;
and although the number of confessors was very great,
yet we could not serve all those who desired to purify
their souls in the health-giving bath of the sacrament
of penance. Many were the scandals removed, ene
mies reconciled, and provocations allayed. The num
ber of matrimonial bans published was fifty-five. It
is true there ought to have been more, but God knows
the reason why there were not.*
"On the twenty-first our missionary novena ter
minated, with great quietness and peace. On the
twenty-second we began to administer the sacrament
of confirmation, and in three days not less than one
thousand eight hundred and four persons received
chrism. On the twenty-fifth we left Cachoeiras, and
as we carried the holy images out of the city, an im
mense crowd, amounting, as it was believed, to five
thousand people, followed us to the distance of six or
eight miles. Long before reaching Santa Anna an
other multitude was found waiting to accompany the
said images, and when we arrived in that villa on the
twenty-sixth, we were received with delight and hos
pitality by all, and especially by the Vigario.
"We here commenced our mission on the twenty-
ninth, the memorable day that is dedicated to the
glorious archangel St. Michael. Many people were
* In a previous mission, according to their statement, they had
married over four hundred persons, most of whom had before been
living in a state of concubinage.

MARVELLOUS SUCCESS. 77
assembled. Great respect was shown by the principal
inhabitants of the town, and all manifested a thirst for
the word of God. The confessions were innumerable.
The matrimonial bans were nearly one hundred, and in
connection with those of neighboring parishes, amount
ed to about two hundred. All were anxious to be
delivered from the meshes of sin. Many had their
offences absolved, and several marriages were solem
nized. In a word, they gave evident tokens of convic
tion and repentance.
"On the eighth of October our holy mission was
ended, with a concourse of people supposed to amount
to twelve thousand souls. Confirmation followed for
three days, during which one thousand four hundred
persons received chrism. Thus our mission termi
nated; and on our way to this city we administered
chrism to six hundred and fifty-seven persons in the
chapel of Feira da Conceic,ao. We cannot refrain
from mentioning to your reverence the great goodness,
meekness, and affability of the people we visited.
" We have no words to express the great veneration
and love with which we were every where received.
The people of Cachoeiras and Santa Anna, both high
and low, are docile, humble, and full of zeal for our
holy Catholic religion, and ready to listen to the per
suasions and advice of missionaries. With this minute
narration, which we offer to your reverence, we kiss
your sacred ring.
"Ambrozio da Rocca, } Apostolical Capuchin
Candido de Taggia, ) Missionaries.
"Archbishop of Bahia.
" Hospicio da Nossa Senhora da Piedade, )
October 29, 1839." )
g2

78 COMMENTS OF THE ARCHBISHOP.
It was in reply to such a communication as this,
that the archbishop published a letter, in which he did
not content himself with passing the most fulsome
panegyrics upon the Capuchins, but also proceeded to
attack Protestants in a style which did but little . credit
to either his judgment or his heart.
After accusing the Bible societies with circulating
mutilated and altered copies of the Scriptures, and
representing Protestant missionaries as having accom
plished but little or no good in the world, he proceeded
to boast that the missionaries of his church went
abroad "without any Bible but their breviaries !"
He also, in this letter, made some allusions to the
operations of myself and colleague in Rio de Janeiro,
which induced us to think that he did not much relish
the distribution of tracts which was made in his pre
sence at the anniversary of the Collegio da Emula§ao.
Had he read those tracts, however, he might have
saved himself from making a statement which every
Brazilian who did read them knew to be false, viz.
that " every word in them was a blasphemy against
the Roman Catholic religion." Not one of the tracts
which we either published or circulated in Brazil,
attacked the established religion. They in every in
stance were confined to plain expositions of Christian
duty, and exhortations to the practice of pure religion.
Surely this prelate needed not to be alarmed, unless
he feared that the circulation of the ten command
ments among the people would cause them to rever
ence the Sabbath day, and to become less enthusiastic
in the worship of images ! It is presumed, however,
that instead of examining into the real facts of the
case, he suffered his prejudices to be excited by the
misrepresentations of some designing persons.

EXAMINATION IN LOGIC. 79
On the 12th of December I attended an examination
in logic, at the convent of the Slippered Carmelites,
to which the public had been invited by a pompous
announcement in the newspapers. The hour appointed
was nine o'clock A. M., but I did not reach the place until
later, when the exercises had already been opened by
an introductory address. When I reached the front of
the edifice, no one was to be seen who could direct me
to the room of the assembly; wherefore I undertook to
find it myself, and followed a line of green leaves scat
tered over a stairway, and then through a veranda,
until I came to the place, a large saloon in the rear of
the building, where I found a good seat apparently in
reserve for my use. The ornaments of the room were
the usual gilt and crimson hangings, together with
some twenty paintings, portraits of distinguished Car
melites. Among these was a head of pope Dionysius.
A part of the floor was spread with a carpet, and over
the whole leaves and flowers had been scattered in
profusion. In the middle of the room, opposite the door, sat the
padre-mestre, the presiding officer of the occasion,
whom I supposed to be the prior of the convent. At
one end, upon a sort of throne arranged for that pur
pose, sat the archbishop, in his ju|ual woman-like dress,
not of black like that of the other priests, but of red
and yellow, surmounted by a lace jacket, or garment
of some name, resembling an old lady's short-gown,
and very suitable to be worn with petticoats.
Immediately in front of this most reverend prelate,
was an open space extending to the middle of the
room, and flanked on either side by benches full of
friars, with their heads newly shaved, and dressed out

80 STYLE OF ARGUMENTATION.
as primly as possible. I counted about thirty Car
melites, all distinguished by a white silk scarf or man-
tilha, hung about their neck and shoulders in the style
of a poncho. At the foot of the pulpit or box in which
the- presiding officer was stationed, sat two noviciates
styled padres defendentes, towards whom, as will after
wards appear, was directed the entire brunt of the
battle. In front of and facing them, sat six examiners,
a part clergy and others laymen. At the other end of
the room was stationed a band of musical performers,
and before them was ranged the miscellaneous specta
tors, a part of whom were also priests, and a larger
part colored persons. The band was playing when I
entered. On its ceasing, the prior addressed himself to
his excellency the archbishop, as much with nods and
obsequious grimaces as with words, requesting him to
commence the examinations of the day. The said
prelate took the word and answered, still sitting in his
chair. He expressed his excessive satisfaction in being
permitted to take part in the brilliant scene before his
eyes. He felt this some reward for the efforts he had
made for the promotion of education and religion. He
especially congratulated the rising prospects of the
glorious order of the Carmelites, (whereupon all the
members thereof rose on their feet and made a gra
cious obeisance.) Moreover, he lamented his own
weakness and incapacity to perform the momentous
duties at this moment before him, &c. &c.
After a speech of moderate length, most of which
was very sensible, he opened a book of themes, with
which most present were furnished, and addressed
some questions to one of the defendentes. After hav
ing sufficiently discussed the proposition he had select-

THE ETIQUETTE OBSERVED. 81
ed, he surrendered the floor, and the band played an
air. The presiding officer then called upon another ex
aminer, who immediately rose and made some half
a dozen bows successively to the archbishop, to the
chair, to the friars on one side, to the friars on the
other side, to his brother examiners, and to the audi
ence in general. He then sat down and commenced
his harangue. This etiquette was observed by all the
examiners in turn. Each one had a studied exordium,
abounding with the most fulsome compliments, {do
costume,) aimed at others but meant for himself, after
which he proceeded to some one of the themes. The
object seemed not so much to ascertain what the pupils
knew, as to display what they knew themselves. Con
sequently the spaces between their questions were so
abundantly interlarded with explanatory words of
learned length and thundering sound, that in the course
of half an hour they would scarcely suffer the neophytes
to respond more than a few meagre monosyllables. I
could have conceived the gentlemen examiners to be
rival candidates for the office of chief wrangler in the
convent. When any one succeeded in confusing the
respondents, which seemed to be the special ambition of
each examiner, the good prior TWjjuIisposed to help his
students out of the fog, and thuTmere were sometimes
three or four persons speaking at once. The propo
sitions chosen were more worthy ^of the days of the
schoolmen than of the " seculo das luzes," our own en
lightened age. The padres defendentes appeared to
be tolerably clever lads, and I thought did remarkably
well,, considering the circumstances in which they were
placed. The scene on the whole was truly novel and
Vol. II.— 11

82 VISIT TO A NUNNERY.
interesting. The music was no small addition, as it
served to banish the drowsiness brought on from time
to time by the hair-splitting discussions to which the
attention was directed. The exercises continued near
ly four hours, and were to be renewed again at three
P. M. But I had no motive to return.
Somewhat dissimilar to this scene was an interview
I had in one of the nunneries, near which I resided.
The nuns in this establishment were celebrated for
making fine feather flowers and delicious sweetmeats,
of which fashion required every stranger to procure
specimens. Whoever chose to enter their chapel, morn
ing or evening, might listen to their monotonous chant
ing, and occasionally observe the sisters through the
lattice of the orchestra, casting downward their benign
glances. The altars and images of this chapel were
profusely adorned with large feather flowers, which at
once honored the saints and exhibited specimens of
the handicraft of their devotees. Some old paintings
adorned the pannelings of the roof, the most promi
nent of which represented an angel, saying, through a
trumpet — " Adora a Senhora das Merc6s."
Worship the Lady of Mercy !
One morning I c^tM as interpreter for some ladies
who desired to procTrre a supply of feather flowers.
Our wishes were made known to the portress at the
great wheel, which, as in most other convents, was
precisely similar to that in the foundling hospital at
Rio de Janeiro, already described. The portress di
rected us to make our bargains with a nun who show
ed her phiz at a neighboring door, through which was
a circular aperture of about eight inches in diameter,

A DISAPPOINTMENT. 83
covered with a silver grating. This freira was dis
posed to be very sociable. She was apparently about
twenty-five years of age, low in stature, and as pallid
in complexion as a slight sprinkling of African blood
could well permit. She showed herself not wanting in
tact as a trades-woman, and while we were kept wait
ing for specimens to be rolled out on the wheel, she com
municated the following items of information. " There
were twenty-five nuns in the convent, besides some
educandas. The life of a nun, moreover, was very
pleasant, and she was much attached to it." Not finding
the species of feather flowers we desired, she request
ed us to order them, and call on a certain day, when
they should be ready. The order was accordingly
given. One of the ladies now became extremely anx
ious to see the inside of the convent; wherefore I
made application in her behalf, and was promised that
she and her friend might go in the next week, when we
were to call for the articles ordered.
The appointed day came, and the ladies prepared to
visit the convent, with high expectations of seeing its
internal arrangements. On arriving at the hour desig
nated, we found the door, through which the interview
of the previous day had been held, standing open, as
we supposed, in waiting for our jwut. Two aged nuns
stood at the entrance, examinrlr^ sundry wares and
merchandise brought them by a crowd of pedlers. I
made known to them the errand of the ladies, where
upon they told us, with some surprise, that by looking
in we could see all that any one was permitted to see.
No one was allowed to cross the threshhold of that door
without a license from the archbishop. I informed them
of the promise of one of their number, but they paid

84 ADMONITION TO THE NUNS.
no regard to that. The ladies were equally disap
pointed in finding that their order for feather flowers
was unexecuted — another promise to the contrary not
withstanding. The nuns remarked, " You did not take
those we had on hand — how can it be you wish for
more?" Afterwards they said that only one sister un
derstood the art of manufacturing them, and that she
had been sick. They were very prompt, however, to
promise more, which should be in readiness by Sunday,
if we would call that day and purchase them. After
such a proposition I felt called upon to admonish them
of the sanctity of the Lord's day, and of the inconsis
tency of professed religioners devoting it to traffic and
worldly business. I moreover commented upon the
great importance of their paying proper attention to
their voluntary promises, and of not suffering their
veracity to fail. On taking leave I presented them
with several tracts in their own language, appropos to
the subjects to which I had called their attention. They
said they should be much pleased to read them, and I
accordingly left enough to supply all the members of
their establishment.
That the reading of these tracts was not confined
to the inmates of the convent, I had occasion to know.
On the very day IJ^t them, a friend of mine met a
padre coming from^Rid convent having in his hand
copies of the folhetes, which he was reading in the
street with such profound attention as to pause from
time to time, as he passed along, to ponder the sense
of what he read. My friend supposed him to be en
route for the archbishop's palace, and anticipated for
me, in consequence, some message from his reverence.
That, however, never came ; and I indulged the ap-

DISSEMINATION OF SCRIPTURES.

85

K PADRE KEADINS TEACTS.

prehension that after a quiet opportunity to peruse
the tracts I circulated, he became fully satisfied of
their useful tendency.
I distributed in Bahia a great number of tracts.
They were repeatedly called for at the depository, and
were, in every instance, well jjaceived, notwithstand
ing some furious denunciationsTrom the clergy. All
the Bibles I brought had been sold during my absence
to the north, together with a supply received by Rev.
Mr. Parker, and still more were in demand. Copies
of the New Testament were not so much called for,
although all I had were turned to a good account.
During the last week I spent in Bahia arrange
ments had been made for me to hold a Bethel service on
H

86 BETHEL SERVICE.
the next Sabbath, and to preach on board an American
bark then in the harbor. In addition to the seamen
that would be in attendance from vessels in port, it
was understood that a large company of residents from
the city would go off to the service. The weather
proved so unfavorable as to effectually disappoint
our expectations. At the appointed hour a heavy rain
was falling, and so rough a sea was rolling into the
harbor as to prevent all communication between ves
sels and the shore. It was no small disappointment
to me that I did not enjoy the opportunity of publicly
preaching Christ crucified in the harbor of St. Salva
dor. I found the attendance upon the English service
in that city very good, certainly in comparison with
Rio de Janeiro or Pernambuco.
The commerce of Bahia has not been prosperous
for several years past. In fact it has never recovered
its former vigor since the revolution of 1837. One
cause has been the renewed activity of the English
cruisers, which began to be manifested in 1838, and
has since continued to oppose a formidable obstacle to
the slave trade on the African coast, in which Bahia
has from early days been deeply interested. The
effects of this activity are by no means confined to the
number of prizes taken, but are still more obvious in
preventing the embarkation of slaves than in capturing
them when afloat. It has not been generally known
that notwithstanding the opposition of the English
nation to the slave trade, and her vigorous efforts to
suppress it, yet that the strong bulwark of that traffic
has been the English capital, by aid of which it has
been carried on. Such is the fact. Few slave vessels
were fitted out without large credits from English

SLAVE TRADE. 87
houses, based on the anticipated sale of their return
cargo. It was not principle that cut off these credits,
but the repeated losses of the slave dealers, which left
them nothing to pay. Thus English philanthropy and
English cupidity came in contact with each other, and
it is a happy circumstance that the former, to a great
extent, triumphed. Yet the derangement of so vast
a business as the slave traffic had become, has been
severely felt in the commercial affairs of Bahia, not
only on account of the number of persons engaged in
it, but also on account of the market it had hitherto
furnished for two principal products of the province —
rum and tobacco.
One of the last excursions I took in Bahia was to
the suburb of Bom-Fim. In company with a friend I
took a small saveiro, as the row-boats are there called,
in which two stout oarsmen pulled us briskly along the
shore until we reached Boa Viagem, opposite the
church of Bom-Fim. Sudden rains are common in
that latitude, and we had scarcely landed before one
of them came dashing down in torrents. We found a
shelter in the porch of a large house until the violence
of the shower seemed past, but as there was no pros
pect of a final clearing up, we sallied forth and com
menced our promenade. We. found the Bom-Fim
church open, although it was nearly night. The edi
fice was constructed in modern style, with a taste con
siderably above the ordinary, and ornamented with
paintings and rich gilt work. It had a very extensive
platform of stone in front, and the situation is charm
ing. It was under process of painting and repairs,
in preparation for the holidays of Christmas and New
Year, at which, as well as during the entire hot sea-

88 EXCURSION TO BOM-FIM.
son, the vicinity is a favorite resort. Houses are then
in great demand, and down to the poorest cabin are
densely occupied by the people of the town, who glad
ly abandon their more permanent residences for the
sake of a change of air, and the delights of a country
residence, both of which they find to their entire satis
faction, by a remove of from two to five miles. Con
tinuing our walk, we proceeded on the principal road
to the city, passing through the calgado, or paved
street, which is ornamented with a long and beautiful
row of houses perfectly uniform in size, structure, and
appearance, a circumstance quite novel for Brazil.
Ascending the hill at the northern extremity of the
calcado, we passed by the Solidade convent, and thus
onward, through the various squares and windings of
streets up and down hills, till we at length reached our
lodgings in front of the Merces, having been drenched
by an unceasing shower.

VOYAGE RESUMED. 89

CHAPTER V.
Voyage resumed. — Province of Sergipe. — River S. Francisco. — Harbor
of Macei6. — The People. — The Buildings.— Dress. — Employments. —
Cemetery. — Commerce. — Printing Presses. — Revolution. — Insecuri
ty of Life. — Inefficiency of Law. — Lack of Justice. — Moral and Re
ligious Necessities. — The Bible in Maceio. — Conversation on ship
board. — Wonder-working Medal.
On the day appointed for leaving Bahia on my north
ward tour, the passengers began to collect on board the
St. Sebastian at about five P. M. One gentleman ad
dressed me politely in French, soon after I reached the
deck of the steamer, and informed me that he had
taken passage for Para., his native province. He had
recently been in the United States, and was delighted
with the country. "Ah," said he, "what would not
Para be, if it were in the hands of those North Ame
ricans." As soon as our acquaintance became established, he
introduced to me a Carmelite friar, his cousin, recently
from Portugal, but now also on his way to Para to
take charge of a convent belonging to his order. The
speaker proved to be a brother of the archbishop, and
a commendador of the order of Christ, who, on account
of some political irregularities, had found it prudent to
absent himself a short time from his country. Having
been to the United States, he had made a call at Bahia,
to visit his brother on his return home.
Beside the persons mentioned, we also had in our
list of new passengers a young Brazilian, nephew to
the president of Bahia, and inspector of the provincial
Vol. II.— 12 h 2

90 SERGIPE.
treasury of Alagoas. These, in connection with our
excellent colonel, formed an interesting party. Some
of the authorities on shore had contemplated making
a demonstration of respect towards the gallant officer
through whose bravery their city had been delivered
from the rebels in 1838. They designed to come off
in the boats of the arsenal and display their courtesy
alongside, just as our vessel should part with her moor
ings. But their movements were too slow for the fiery
spirit of our captain, who hove up anchor at his own
discretion, and soon left all ceremonies behind. We
were fairly on our course by nightfall, and having the
wind in our favor, we passed on so rapidly as next day
to be off the coast of Sergipe.
This is one of the smallest provinces of Brazil. It
is situated between 11° 41' and 10° 28' S. latitude.
The face of the country here is generally low but
uneven. In passing near the shore an abrupt bank of
reddish rock and sand is visible. A dense jungle
covers the soil, on which there is but rarely seen any
appearance of cultivation. About twenty miles inland
is the Serra of Itabaia, a range of low mountains, on
which grows the Brazil-wood and other valuable trees.
Occasionally openings appear on the sides of the Serra,
which are said to be used as slides for the timber
which is cut and exported. This Serra divides the
forest country of the sea-coast from the open plains of
the interior.
The province is but thinly populated, and contains
no city of any magnitude. Its capital is called S.
Christovao, after Christovao de Barros, under whom,
by order of king Philip II., the conquest of the country
was first made in 1590. The name Sergipe is derived

RIVER S. FRANCISCO. 91
from the Indian appellation of a small river running
through the interior. The eastern portion of the pro
vince is adapted to the cultivation of sugar, tobacco,
and other kindred products, while the western is de
voted chiefly to the rearing of cattle.
Sergipe has few or no commercial relations with
foreign countries. Its legislature holds sessions from
time to time at the capital. From the reports of its
successive presidents, it appears that the people are
generally very orderly and patriotic. Some few out
laws disturb the peace occasionally with comparative
impunity, owing to the slackness with which law is
administered, and to the dilapidated state of the pri
sons. A press was purchased by the province in 1838,
for the purpose of printing official documents. Several
schools were also in existence, but none of the offici
aries have seen fit to give their exact statistics.
This province is divided on the north from Alagoas
by the San Francisco, the largest river emptying into
the Atlantic between the Amazon and the Rio de la
Plata. It rises in the province of Minas, and waters
the soil of Bahia, Pernambuco, Sergipe and Alagoas,
in its course to the ocean. From the mouth of the Rio
das Velhas to the falls of Paulo Affonso, the distance
of a thousand miles, its waters are suitable for naviga
tion, although from the sparseness of population on its
banks, and the lack of enterprise, it is but little used
for this purpose. The falls qf Paulo Affonso are de
scribed by those who have seen them as an immense
cataract, over which the river plunges, forming a spec
tacle of the utmost grandeur. The vapors arising
from the ravine may be seen at a distance. They
resemble the smoke of a conflagration in the midst of

92 HARBOR OF MACEIO.
the forest. The river does not again find a tranquil
bed until near its embouchure, but for the space of
seventy-five miles dashes with fury over a succession
of rapids and smaller cataracts, which effectually in
terrupt the passage of vessels, and forbid the hope of
any artificial connection between the upper and lower
navigation. Above the cataract the waters of this
river sometimes overflow their banks, and extend
themselves for leagues on either side. The inhabitants
of the country then take to the hills for refuge, and
communicate with each other by means of boats and
canoes. Greater fertility is the result of these inundations,
accompanied at the same time with desolating fevers.
In these solitary regions the naturalist meets with in
numerable flocks of wild birds, and also with fish and
animals of rare species.
Alagoas, which lies next on the coast, is another of
the smaller provinces. It derives its name from the
lake, or more strictly speaking, the inlet, on which
stands its old capital the city of Alagoas. The prin
cipal seaport of the province is Maceio'. Into this port
we entered, after a passage of about forty hours from
Bahia. As we bore up to land in the morning after
our second night at sea, we found the coast very flat,
sometimes exhibiting a sandy beach, and anon banks
of eighty or ninety feet elevation, denominated, from
their prevailing color, the red cliffs. We approached
so near these cliffs as to perceive distinctly their stra
tification, which resembled successive layers of brick.
The most favored island of the southern seas can
hardly present a more lovely aspect than does the
harbor of Maceio'. The port is formed by a reef of

LANDING. 93
rocks visible at ebb tide, which runs north and south
for a sufficient distance in a right line, and seems to
form an angle with an extreme point of land on the
north. From the same point the beach sweeps inward
in the form of a semicircle. The sand on this beach
exhibits a snowy whiteness, as if bleached by the foam
of the ocean waves that unceasingly dash upon it.
A little back from the water stands a single line of
white houses, embowered here and there by groves of
majestic coqueiros, whose noble fruit, clustered amid
their branching leaves, might have been thought to
resemble jewels set among the plumes of a coronet.
Upon a hill side, some distance in the rear, stands the
city, containing a population of about three thousand.
After coming to an anchor, our vessel was boarded
by the port officers in two government boats. I soon
after went on shore with the captain. There is not a
decent landing-place in the whole harbor. When the
surf is heavy, the only possible way of landing or em
barking without getting wet, is to run your boat along
side the posts upon which a wing of the custom-house
is built. To some of these posts strips of board have
been nailed, upon which, like a ladder, you may clam
ber up with some sort of safety. But as the morning
was calm, we selected a favorable part of the shore
for landing. Mounting the highest wave, we managed
to run our boat aground, and then as the water re
ceded jumped upon the sand.
The first persons that attracted my attention were
six full grown males and females, of a swarthy com
plexion, in front of a cabin near by. One or two of
the males had chosen the sand for a bed, while others
had stretched their persons upon some bare poles,

94 THE CITY.
where they were lying to sun themselves ; while the
females sat hard by, performing some very friendly
office upon their heads and hair. Whether these
ladies were engaged in feeling out phrenological
bumps, or in some less scientific employment, I did
not stop to inquire, but mentally congratulated them
upon having a long and beautiful day before them for
the accomplishment of their arduous enterprise. I
walked round the entire beach, and at length took the
road to the town, passing over a small arm of the sea,
which at low water is crossed by a pole bridge. At
flood tide it is ferried by means of a jangada.
Maceio is principally located upon a single street.
The city contains two churches, in miserable repair, and
vet had two more in the process of erection; but no
convents. Its other public buildings were a theatre, a
government house, barracks for soldiers, and a camara
municipal. The theatre was ornamented outside with
rude crosses, and forms representing stars and circles ;
apparatus for illumination was affixed to all these or
naments. Notwithstanding various evidences of popu
lar interest in this edifice, it stood open and apparently
deserted, one of its sides having yielded to the force
of gravitation, or having been pulled down for repairs.
Most of the houses in Maceio are built of taipa, and,
with one or two exceptions, do not exceed a single
story in height.
As you enter one Brazilian town after another, few
things appear more strikingly characteristic than the
different shapes of the water jars borne on the heads
of the negroes. The style prevailing in each place is
peculiar to itself. The following cut will show some
of the variations.

EMPLOYMENTS.

95

jjmin-c*-" ¦

A. KIO DE JANEIRO.

SAN PAULO.

D. MACEIO.

It was not a very pleasing sight to behold numbers
of young children about the public places in a state of
entire nudity ; and yet I could not avoid some amuse
ment with the appearance of a small negro, strutting up
and down the street, vain-glorious of a pair of shoes,
the only article of apparel which his person exhibited.
The shoes were, however, a badge of freedom, and
that he was not a slave ; the boy and his parents doubt-
less had a right to be proud.
The principal branch of industry apparent on pass
ing through the town, was the manufacture of lace.
This employed the ladies of many of the houses, who
were generally seen seated on the ground near by the
door, working upon a cushion placed before them.
Some dwellings, through their open doors and windows,
exhibited more or less persons sleeping within. In one
or two instances I observed the husband and wife
affectionately playing cards together, while nothing
seemed to be going on around them save the play and
mischief of children. The shops seemed particularly
dull. The signs of several consisted simply of a spe
cimen of the principal commodity on sale, e. g. a salt
fish, a piece of carne secca, or a piece of calico fastened

96 IMAGE WORSHIP.
to a stick projecting over the door. Observing a clerk
in one of the lojas leaning over his counter and en
gaged in reading, I stepped in to converse with him
a little. His book was a life of Carlos Magno. I pre
sented him some other books which he had never
seen, and for which he seemed very thankful.
Another young man came in, upon whom I was dis
posed to bestow similar favors, but he said he did not
know how to read. Near this locality a chair had been
placed in the street, and spread over with a cloth. In
it stood a small image case. Just as I was passing,
two persons, tropeiros from the interior, crossed the
way, and kneeling down before the image, devoutly
kissed the glass through which it was exhibited. An
old colored man sat close by, with a scarf over his
shoulders and a plate in his hand. I inquired of him,
" What have you in that case?" " Our Lady of the
Rosary," he replied. " What is she doing ?" "Col
lecting alms to build a church." Our conversation
continued some minutes, during which I listened to
a profound eulogy upon the religious virtues of the
image, which, had I trusted my eyes rather than my
ears, I could hardly have distinguished from a child's
doll. After dinner at the English vice-consul's, to whom
I had been introduced by letter, I walked out with a
company of gentlemen to survey the town and its sur
rounding scenery from a neighboring height. The
hill which we ascended was composed of a red loam,
kindred in character to that exhibited on the coast be
low. It was covered with rank weeds, as was almost
every other spot not occupied by a house, in or near
the town. A small piece of ground, enclosed by a wall

COMMERCE. 97
of stone, was pointed out to me as the English and
foreign burying-ground. The door or gate, originally
made of wood, had been suffered to decay and fall in
pieces, and thus the enclosure was left open and de
solate. Many of the houses, in the extremities of the town,
are very small, and covered only with a thatch of the
cocoa-palm leaves. I was sorry to see jugs and glasses
exhibited at many of the windows, indicating that grog
was for sale within.
The exports of the province of Alagoas are chiefly
sugar, cotton, hides, Brazil-wood, and rose-wood. Su
gar, in large cases, is brought from the interior upon
rude carts, drawn severally by six or eight oxen. The
cotton comes in bales, of about one hundred and eighty
pounds each. Of these a horse carries one on either
side of a pack-saddle. Mules have not yet been intro
duced into this region as beasts of burden, although it
is thought they would be more serviceable than horses.
Of late the greater proportion of the productions
of the province have been exported by way of Bahia
and Pernambuco. Formerly foreign shipments were
more frequent, and a greater number of foreigners
resided in the place.
At one time two newspapers were published in Ma
ceio ; but, belonging to opposite political parties, they
were continually wrangling with each other. Bad
words soon led to bad deeds. One morning it was
found that the taipa walls of one printing office had
been broken through, and its types and press destroy
ed. In a short time the other shared the same fate,
and thus their weapons of war perished.
We tarried at Maceio- forty-eight hours at the
Vol. II.— 13 I

98 REVOLUTION.
period of my first visit. On my return, four months
after, I found that quite a revolution had transpired in
the interval. A transfer of the capital of the pro
vince from Alagoas to Maceio' had long been talked of.
The former city was of no commercial importance,
and contained but about one thousand inhabitants,
although its public buildings and churches were of a
superior style of construction, and it was generally
preferred as a capital by the inhabitants of the in
terior. In the month of October an order arrived from the
imperial government, requiring the treasury of the
province to be removed at once from Alagoas to Ma
ceio. The inhabitants of the former city, and some
of their neighbors, determined to resist the order.
They assembled, to the number of one thousand five
hundred men, and, actuated by a strange infatuation,
imprisoned the president of the province. They shut
him up in his palace, allowing him nothing to eat, un
til finally they conceived the idea of transporting him,
and thus delivering themselves from the restraints of
authority. His excellency was unceremoniously taken
on board a vessel at Porto Francez, and embarked for
Bahia. Having got to sea, the president resumed his
authority, and changed the destination of the vessel,
ordering it to put into Maceio'. Here his excellency
landed, in the midst of great rejoicings.
The leaders of the insurgents had promised their
party the privilege of attacking Maceio', and of plun
dering it in case of success. But the vice-president
had, in the meantime, assumed the reins of govern
ment, and dispatched advices over land to Pernam
buco, whence a reinforcement of two hundred soldiers

MORAL CONDITION OF ALAGOAS. 99
had been promptly sent down. On the arrival of this
body of troops the rebels dispersed, without having
shed a drop of blood.
This petty insurrection, it#was said, would cost the
province one hundred thousand milreis. But Maceio
had now become the capital, and its inhabitants were
full of anticipation that their town would soon be a
great place. Rents of houses had doubled, in expecta
tion of the demand at the approaching session of the
provincial legislature, and business of all kinds was
receiving a new impulse.
From a speech of the president of the province of
Alagoas, Senhor Manoel Felizardo de Souza e Mello,
delivered to the Legislative Assembly in 1842, several
items of melancholy interest are gathered, respecting
the state of society in the interior. It is to be feared,
moreover, that these statements would be only too
true if applied to other vast portions of the empire. I
translate the following from under the topic of
PUBLIC TRANQUILLITY.
" Since the last session of this legislature nothing
has occurred to disturb public quietness, nor are there
reasons at present for apprehending any commotions,
especially since party strife seems to be subsiding, and
the whole province adopting, in unison, ideas of order,
love, and devotion to the actual form of government.
While I am delighted to say thus much, it causes me
extreme pain to be obliged to add, that only a short
time ago an immense number of lives were annually
destroyed through odium, intrigue, and revenge.
" No personal security existed, especially in the ser-
toes. The existence of our fellow citizens depended

100 INSECURITY OF LIFE.
either upon the simple will of an assassin, or upon the
wealth and influence of their friends, who would be
sure to revenge their blood. You are not unacquainted
with the sad state to which our province had arrived,
nor are you ignorant of its improvement during the
last few months. This improvement has been owing,
first, to the activity of a recruiting party, which has
removed from the province six hundred and eight idle
and vicious individuals ; secondly, to the progressive
and palpable improvement of the national guards ; and,
finally, to five examples of capital punishment.
" Not to offend your sensibilities with the narration
of various atrocities, which cause humanity to blush, I
will simply mention to you some of those outrages
which are most notable, either on account of the cha
racter of the persons against whom they were com
mitted, or on account of the extraordinary circum
stances accompanying them."
Among the various crimes which the president goes
on to mention, including repeated assassinations, and
one by a parish priest, are the following :
" The villa of Atalaia was, for a long time, under
the dominion of two hair-brained youths, who intended
to make their fortunes by violence and outrage. By
low management they had obtained for themselves all
the civil offices of any importance within the gift of the
people, or had conferred them upon some miserable
characters, who, either through cowardice or affection,
were entirely their tools. They then proceeded to burn
dwellings, kill cattle, shoot at houses filled with wo
men and children, and even to drag out criminals from
the prisons, and assassinate them almost publicly. All
civil or criminal cases were decided by their will, and

INEFFICIENCY OF LAW. 101
even marriages could not be solemnized without their
permission. After various ineffectual attempts, these
outlaws were at length subdued, and their haunts
broken up."
In illustrating the origin of such atrocities the pre
sident remarks : " There are still individuals who live
constantly surrounded by a band of murderers, through
whom they become dreaded by the community, and
formidable even to the authorities. Others, of less
importance, roam about having no fixed residence, but
constantly armed and ready to commit any crime. In
general, the lower class of population, at whose hands
we would expect to realize the benefit of persevering
industry, finding that they can procure the mere neces
saries of life with but little exertion, give themselves
up to almost unbounded idleness.
" In different parts of the province where I have
traveled, I have often entered farm houses surrounded
with promising fruit trees, and found them nothing but
thatched hovels. In the doors of these miserable huts
the inhabitants spend their working days, sitting upon
their heels, with a knife and a blunderbuss at their
side, which they seldom take up except to hunt, or to
do something worse. With such habits of life what
can be expected." THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
" This subject forms a black page in the report of
all the presidents of provinces, indicating that others
beside ourselves have to struggle with the overwhelm
ing evils of an absolute lack of justice, and of the
delinquencies of the very men who are charged with
its administration. Our justices of the peace pursue
i2

102 PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
their Wonted course ; either doing nothing through in
dolence and cowardly restraint, or practising notorious
injustice when instigated by selfish passions, or by men
of influence in their neighborhood.
" The period for organizing juries is the time of
jubilee for criminals. The jurors being in a high de
gree ill-qualified, having but little general information,
and still less acquaintance with the important duties
of their office; and, moreover, having no personal
security, can by no means be relied upon for the ad
ministration of justice and the punishment of offenders.
Rare is the criminal, even among the most abandoned,
who cannot find some protector; and those who have
some powerful man on their side are sure to be fully
absolved. This scandal has reached its climax.
"In the villa of Anadia, where a jury had not been
organized for more than three years, out of thirty
criminal cases only one was found guilty ; all the othef
defendants were pronounced innocent and falsely ac
cused ! In another place, where in ordinary circum
stances it is with great difficulty that a competent
number of jurors can be assembled, about sixty met
for a special purpose, and on their first organization
cleared all the persons complained of and then sepa
rated." After these representations the reader could not
expect very favorable accounts of the state of public
instruction, or of public worship. In the whole pro
vince there were thirty-nine schools, and fourteen hun
dred and five scholars, taught at the public expense ;
besides nineteen private .schools, numbering three
hundred and twenty-eight pupils.
Of the churches in the province, the president says:

RELIGIOUS NECESSITIES. 103
"They are in the worst state imaginable. Many of
them are either actually falling into ruins, or have no
outward similitude to a temple, and are in no way
calculated to inspire the respect due to the house of
the Lord. In view of this abandoned state of the
churches, it is not possible to disculpate the respective
vigarios. If these individuals would fulfill their own
important duties, and rouse up their flocks, our tem
ples would soon exhibit a suitable degree of splendor,
and religion would assume her proper brilliancy."
Surely such a state of society as the intelligent pre
sident of Alagoas has depicted in the document from
which the above statements are translated, requires
some more powerful influences from religion than can
be inspired by outward splendor of any kind or degree.
It needs the pure gospel faithfully preached, and the
word of God familiarly read and understood, as a
means of enlightening the moral darkness that prevails,
and of softening the hearts now hardened with the
practice of violence and crime.
In view of this painful necessity, it is pleasing to the
writer to remember, that he made every effort within
his power during his sojourn at Maceio to disseminate
the light of truth. In this work I met with no opposi
tion, but with many encouraging circumstances.
On my first visit to the shore, having become thirsty
during a fatiguing walk over the beach, I desired the
simple but very suitable beverage of a draft of fresh
cocoa-nut water. I was directed to a snug little house
near the sea-shore, which stood embowered in a grove
of thriving coqueiros. A man about fifty years old, a
Portuguese by birth, received me at the door with due
civility, and urged me to walk into the house and

104 THE BIBLE IN MACEIO.
await the arrival of a negro, who would be able to
climb one of the trees and pluck the fruit. The domi-
cil was neat and comfortable, and a table in the parlor
exhibited two or three books. One of them I judged
from its appearance to be a Portuguese Bible, of the
British and Foreign Bible Society's publication. To
find that book in such a situation, was a circumstance
as rare as it was interesting. I immediately directed
attention to the volume.
"What book is that?"
"It is the Bible."
"How long have you had it?"
"Eight or nine years," was the reply.
"How did you become possessed of it?"
"It was given me by a sailor in Bahia."
"It seems to have been used a great deal?"
" Oh yes, I am very fond of reading it, it is so in
structive and consoling ; but the mischief is I cannot
keep it at home. My neighbors love to read it too,
and they are continually borrowing it from me. I have
loaned it to go great distances, in almost every direc
tion ; but now it is at home, and I think I shall not let
it go any more."
" What, are there no other copies of it to be
found?" "I do not know of any, and most people that borrow
it have never seen such a book before."
"Well, I suppose you would have no objections to
lend that copy, if you had another one perfectly clean
and new?"
"Certainly not."
" Then I will send one I have on board the steamer
for your own use."

ENGLISH GENTLEMEN. 105
"Will you?"
" Yes, cheerfully, and along with it a quantity of
Testaments and tracts, which you shall be at liberty
to distribute among those friends of yours, far and
near, who have become fond of reading the old
Bible." " Oh, I shall be extremely thankful ! I will distri
bute them faithfully, and when you return down the
coast I will show you a list of those persons to whom I
shall have given them."
The reader may imagine that after such a conversa
tion the fresh cocoa-nuts were opened with no ordinary
satisfaction on both sides.
The selection was made from those not fully ripe.
In these the water (not milk, as we incorrectly call it)
has a rich and spicy flavor. It should be drank off
directly from the shell. The pulp is then found in its
transition state, quite soft and free from fibre. With
a little white sugar and lime-juice sprinkled over it, it
vies for delicacy with the choicest custard.
I sent the books on shore according to promise,
and on my return I found they had all been given
away. They had been much sought for, and were
highly prized. Indeed, various applications were on
hand for more.
I also found in Maceio two English gentlemen who
manifested a laudable interest in aiding my objects.
One of them had resided many years in the country,
and having distributed several Testaments in Bahia
some years previously, was convinced of the happy
influence they were capable of exerting. The circula
tion of these volumes, he said, was calculated to remove
Vol. II.— 14

106 INTERESTING LETTER.
the incorrect ideas which many still entertain with
respect to foreigners and Protestants, especially since
they had been taught to consider them irreligious en
masse. This gentleman had recently lost his wife, a Brazilian
lady, by whose death his three children were left mo
therless. He was accustomed to read prayers and a
sermon in his family on the Sabbath day, an example
which is well worthy of imitation by all Protestant
Christians residing away from opportunities of public
instruction. All the Scriptures that I left in the care of these
gentlemen had been disposed of before my return, and
one of them had received many applications for more,
among which was a very pressing one from his rever
ence the Vigario.
After leaving Maceio, and while residing at Per
nambuco, I received a letter from a gentleman at the
time unknown to me, but with whom I afterward be
came acquainted. He was then vice-president of his
native province, of which he was soon after promoted
to the presidency. He had traveled in Europe, was
well educated, and possessed extremely liberal and en
lightened views, as will be perceived from a translation
of his letter asking for a supply of Scriptures for his
own use and distribution. " Maceio, August 1st.
"Respected and Rev. Sir, — Knowing that you
are engaged in the noble mission of circulating the Holy
Scriptures among the people of this country, with the
design of promoting a general acquaintance with the
sublime truths of the Gospel, I take the liberty specially

CO-OPERATION. 107
to request you to favor me with some copies, of which
I will promise to make a faithful use, sharing them
with persons of my acquaintance who will fully appre
ciate the privilege of reading that precious volume,
that treasure, that sacred legacy which our Lord has
bequeathed us. Allow me to say that the copies for
distribution should be in the Portuguese idiom, since
the people of this country rarely understand any other ;
but for myself, I am desirous to obtain a German
translation, e. g. that of the great reformer and founder
of the Protestant church, since I already have one in
the French of Ostervald, and I may have occasion to
analyze and compare the different translations. Should
it be possible for you to send me a German copy, it
will be an additional favor for which I shall have occa
sion to thank you, since besides discharging the reli
gious duties in which you are so worthily engaged,
you will confer a special favor upon your most atten
tive and humble servant,
It happened to be in my power to satisfy fully the
request made by this gentleman. On my return I
found him much interested in the objects of my mission,
and still wishing me great success in my endeavors.
He expressed a desire that an offer of Testaments
similar to that made to the legislature of S. Paulo,
should also be made to the Provincial Assembly of
Alagoas, in the belief that the proposition would be
gladly accepted.
On resuming my place on board the steam-packet
an interesting conversation, on various religious sub
jects, occurred at the breakfast table. The Brazilians

108 CONVERSATION ON SHIP-BOARD.
made no little merriment over certain regulations of
the Roman Catholic church. They were not bound by
the rules for fasting even in Lent, when on board ship,
on the principle of eating whatever is set before them,
asking no questions for conscience sake. They thought
it was a strange fancy that had denied to fishes the
possession of flesh, while cattle and fowls were per
mitted to retain it.
Notwithstanding the presence of the old Carmelite
friar, who sat moody and silent, the laugh seemed
verging over from inconsistencies of religious usage
against religion itself; whereupon I undertook to vin
dicate pure religion, and its rational requirements, by
reference to the word of God. The Colonel supported
my position, and said he would follow the precepts of
God rather than those of bishops. He added, that " he
did not allow his children to go to a confessor. He
had a daughter seventeen years old, who had never
yet confessed to a priest, and should not till the eve
of her marriage. The greater part of the padres were
so immoral that instead of fulfilling the proper designs
of their office, as ministers of religion, they perverted
their opportunities of privacy to instill into the minds
of young females ideas which they ought never to
learn." Senhor Seixas said, that his children were
brought up to confess annually, after they were seven
years old, for which purpose he sent them to a confi
dential priest. "Ah!" said the Colonel, "you area
fortunate man if you have found a confidential priest!"
Senhor Seixas " thought that all persons ought lo fol
low implicitly the religion of their forefathers. It was
on this principle that he adhered to various practices

WONDER-WORKING MEDAL. 109
upon which he had thoughts of his own." I reminded
him that on the same principle Jews and pagans must
for ever continue in their rejection of Christianity.
Here was a good opportunity to* make some special
inquiries respecting the Italian Capuchins of Bahia.
Senhor Seixas assured me that they were apostolic
men, who had done marvels in civilizing the people of
the reconcave. Among other glorious deeds they had
distributed several thousand brass medals, commemo
rating a recent miraculous appearance of Nossa Se-
nhora, the Virgin Mary, to a certain nun. These me
dals had of themselves wrought miracles in repeated
instances, such as healing the sick and converting in
fidels. I asked, " Have you confidence in these me
dals yourself?" " The fullest," he replied. " I carry
one with me constantly ; I put it under my pillow at
night, and kiss it every morning. Moreover, I am
carrying some of them home, as the choicest of pre
sents for my family." To settle my doubts at once,
he added, "My brother, the archbishop, is no fanatic,
but on the contrary a very learned man ; yet he has so
much confidence in this marvelous medal, that he
wears it upon his neck, close to his cross ; and the
bishop of Para, does the same." I intimated that an
experiment of its virtues would be much more satis
factory to me than even episcopal authority. He then
promised lo give me one, in the expectation that it
would work another miracle, and " cause me to abjure
my religion, and be baptized as a Roman Catholic."
I begged him not to forget his promise but at the same
time deprecated the renunciation of my religion, un
less he wished me to abjure Christianity itself. I will

110 MEDAL PRESERVED.
inform the reader that the medal was duly presented
and received. It has, moreover, been carefully pre
served, but it has not been worn on the neck, or kissed.
For this or some other reason, it has never been
known, up to the present time, to perform any mira
cle whatever.

DEPARTURE FROM MACEIO*. Ill

CHAPTER VI.
Departure from Maeeio\ — Republic of the Palmares. — Appearance of
Pernambuco and Olinda. — Statistics of the former. — Tall Houses. —
View from the Observatory. — The Reef. — District of San Pedro. —
The Bridge. — Its Shrines. — San Antonio. — Boa Vista. — Other Sub
urbs. — The Festas.
It was about ten in the morning of a brilliant day,
when we weighed anchor in the harbor of Maceio,
and resumed our voyage to the north. We kept the
shore in view all day. The coast is low, and presents
a great uniformity of appearance, being covered with
low dense forests. There are several ports of some
importance on the coast of Alagoas. Porto das Pedras,
Porto Calvo, and Barra Grande, deserve mention.
In the years 1832-3, this territory was the seat of a
protracted war. It originated in the province of Per
nambuco, and extended itself to that of Alagoas. It
was a civil rebellion, having for its ostensible object
the restoration of Don Pedro I. after his abdication,
and is generally known as the guerra dos Cabanos.
The same region is still more noted as having been
the theatre of repeated and bloody contests during the
Dutch wars, and also as the locality of the famed re
public of the Palmares. Concerning the singular
community thus designated, I have consulted various
Brazilian authors, but none of them gives a more com
prehensive and satisfactory account of it than does
Mr. Southey. From him, principally, I abridge the
following :

112 REPUBLIC OF THE PALMARES.
In the interior, about sixty miles from Porto Calvo,
was a place to which numbers of negroes, that had suc
ceeded in escaping from slavery, had resorted from an
early day in the history of Brazil. The interior of the
country was then scarcely inhabited at all, and it is
conjectured that the fugitive Africans made choice of
this spot from the resemblance of its scenery to that
of their native land. Of the myriads of slaves who
had been imported into Brazil, many had, in process
of time, found shelter here. Here they multiplied,
and their numbers were continually increased by new
desertions. They lived in villages, which they called
mocambas. The largest of these was computed to con
tain six thousand inhabitants. It consisted of three
streets, each being a half hour's walk in length. The
huts were contiguous, and had each its garden behind.
The forests supplied them with fruit and game. They
were, however, a provident and industrious people,
and cultivated the land, so that at all times they
abounded with food. Twice in the year they gathered
in their maize, and celebrated both harvests with a
week's festivity. Some appearance of Christianity
was kept up amongst them — a religion which they had
received in so corrupt a form that it was scarcely pos
sible for them, ignorant as they were, to make it more
unlike its divine original. They had their forms of
justice as well as of religion.
Every evening it was their custom, in each village,
to call over the muster-roll, and see if any of the peo
ple were missing ; that done, they began their dance,
and continued it till midnight. This occasioned a sin
gular deviation from the ordinary habits of natural
life ; for, in consequence of retiring thus late to rest,

PREDATORY WARFARE. 113
they slept till nine or ten in the forenoon. The tract
of woodland which they inhabited had two material
disadvantages. It was liable to want water in the
dry season, and it was not far enough in the inte
rior. For a time, however, this nearness to the Por
tuguese settlements was attended with little danger.
It facilitated the escape of their brethren, and allowed
of that incessant predatory warfare which seems to
constitute the highest enjoyment of man in a semi-
barbarous state.
Sometimes the colonists attacked them, waylaid
them on their watering parties, and destroyed their
fields. They, on their part, carried destruction among
the back settlements, and inflicted more injury than
they endured. Their own district was a labyrinth
with which none but themselves were well acquainted ;
while the fugitives who continually joined them served
them as guides, and gave information where they
might best direct their incursions. The war which
they waged was merciless, except towards those of
their own color. With such it was their avowed prac
tice to receive all who fled to them, upon equal terms,
but to retain all as slaves whom they made prisoners.
Thus, during the course of more than threescore years,
they acquired strength and audacity. Not being at
tacked themselves by the Portuguese, they acted on
the offensive. They infested the districts of Porto
Calvo, of Alagoas, and Penedo, — and even places
nearer the seat of government were not secure from
their incursions. Their numbers were continually
increased by slaves who sought for freedom, and men
of color who fled from justice. A community which
was thus recruited needed a proportionate supply of
Vol. II.— 15 k2

114 THEIR GOVERNMENT.
women; and, like the first Romans, these negroes
had no other means of obtaining them than by force.
Wherever they made an inroad they carried off the
negresses and mulattoes; and the Portuguese were
compelled to pay a ransom for their wives and daugh
ters, in arms, money, or whatever else the enemy de
manded. The only account which exists of their
short, but memorable history, comes from the people
who exterminated them, but it renders them full jus
tice, and will not be perused without some feeling of
respect for their character, and compassion for their
fate. They were under the government of an elective
chief, who was chosen for his justice as well as his
valor, and held the office for life. All men of expe
rience and good repute had access to him as counsel
lors. He was obeyed with perfect loyalty, and it is
said that no conspiracies or struggles for power had
ever been known among them. Perhaps a feeling of
religion contributed to this obedience ; for Zombi, the
title whereby he was called, is the name for the Deity
in the Angola tongue. They retained the use of the
cross ; some half-remembered prayers, and a few cere
monies which they had mingled with superstitions of
their own, either what they preserved of their African
idolatry, or had invented in their present state of
freedom. They had their officers and magistrates. Robbery,
adultery, and murder, were punished uniformly with
death. The slave who, having joined them, was de
tected in attempting to desert, underwent the same
penalty. Those whom they captured were considered
as slaves, and were treated with less severity if they
endeavored to escape. The chief persons of both

COMMERCE AND FORTIFICATIONS. 115
sexes attired themselves in the spoils of the Portu
guese ; and indeed, a regular trade was carried on with
some of the Pernambucans, who, for the purpose of
enriching themselves, supplied them in defiance of the
law, with arms, ammunition, and European commo
dities of every kind, in exchange for the produce which
they raised, and the gold, silver, and money which they
acquired in their incursions. Slaves were the agents
in this forbidden and criminal traffic.
A double palisade of the hardest wood which the
forests of Brazil produce, enclosed within a circuit of
four or five miles a population of more than twenty
thousand persons. The fortification was strengthened
by many bulwarks. It had only three gates : these
were placed at equal distances from each other; each
had its platform of defence, and was at all times under
the charge of one of their best officers. The palace
of Zombi was spacious, and not without a kind of rude
magnificence. The houses of individuals were, after
their fashion, commodious and splendid. There was a
lake within the circuit abounding with fish; and there
were also running streams, but the water seems to
have been brackish or salt, for the inhabitants sunk
wells, or rather those shallow pits called cacimbas,
which name implies that it was only rendered potable
by filtration. There was also a high rock within the
enclosure, which served them for a watch-post, and
from whence some of the Pernambucan towns and set
tlements were visible in the distance. Porto Calvo
was the nearest.
The place was called Palmares, from the number
of cocoa groves which they had planted round about.
Besides this, their chief city, they had smaller settle-

116 ATTACK OF THE PORTUGESE.
ments. Chosen men were stationed in the several
mocamhas for the defence of the plantations. Their
weapons were of all kinds, and they were equally
skilled in using the bow and arrow, the spear, or the
sword and firelock.
After suffering long and sorely from the depreda
tions of these republicans, the Portuguese, in 1695,
resolved to exterminate them. For this purpose they
raised an army of not less than ten thousand men, and
encamped before the negro fortifications. They were
provided with ladders, and attempted to enter the place
by escalade. Arrows, boiling water, firearms, and
firebrands, were employed in its defence, and the as
sailants were repulsed with considerable loss. Many
days had not elapsed before the powder of the negroes
was exhausted. They had not apprehended so serious
an attack, nor, if the whole danger had been foreseen,
could they by their contraband trade have procured a
supply in any degree equal to the emergency. On the
other hand, the Portuguese had come without artillery,
and their attempts to hew down the gates and cut a
way through the palisade were always successfully re
sisted. Considerable loss was sustained in their
attacks; they accordingly dispatched messengers to
the governor soliciting a reinforcement, and saying that
without cannon it would be impossible to enter the
place. It was now a trial of endurance between the two
parties. The negroes began to feel a want of missile
weapons, and of provisions also; but the Portuguese
were at the same time upon short allowance, and the
negroes were daily in hope that in their impatience of
disease and hunger, they would break up the siege.

OVERTHROW OF THE PALMARES. 117
Cruelly was this hope disappointed when from the rock
which served them for a watchtower, they beheld
large convoys of cattle, and laden horses and carts,
advancing to the relief of their enemies.
At this sight they lost their only remaining hope. It
seems that famine had now in a great degree deprived
them of their strength; for, when the Portuguese, en
couraged by this arrival, and by the small succor
which joined them at the same time, renewed their
attempt to force an entrance with the axe, little resist
ance was opposed. The three gates were hewn down,
and the Zombi and the most resolute of his followers
retired to the summit of the rock, and preferring death
to slavery, threw themselves from the precipice — men
worthy of a better fate for their courage and their
cause. In its consequences to the vanquished, this victory
resembled the inhuman wars of antiquity. The sur
vivors of all ages, and of either sex, were brought
away as slaves. A fifth of the men were selected for
the crown, the rest were divided among the captors as
their booty, and all who were thought likely to fly, or
capable of vindicating their freedom, were transported
to distant parts of Brazil, or to Portugal. The women
and children remained in Pernambuco, being thus se
parated for ever, the one class from their husbands,
the other from their fathers.
At half past two o'clock the next morning after our
departure from Maceio, we made the light-house of
Pernambuco. As we neared the town, lights on shore
became visible. We came to anchor outside the reef,
and at daylight a pilot came off and took us into the
harbor.

118 PERNAMBUCO AND OLINDA.
The appearance of Pernambuco when seen from the
water is peculiar; its. site is flat, and but little elevated
above the level of the sea. The white buildings erected
on the praya, seem to rise from the very ocean's brink ;
at the same time they lift their heads so high as to prevent
an extended view of the town. Inseparable from this
view of Pernambuco is that of Olinda, located upon a
bold and picturesque hill two miles north. It was the
natural appearance of that hill which called forth from
Duarte Coelho, the first donatary, as he arrived on the
coast in 1530, the enthusiastic exclamation, " O linda
situagdo para se fundar uma villa f "O beautiful site
for a town!" A town was accordingly founded upon
the spot, and the exclamation of the donatary was im
mortalized by being used, in part, to furnish it a name.
Olinda continued the capital of the province for
about two hundred years. Although for beauty its
situation could not be excelled, yet its location was
not favorable for commerce, being too far from the
recife or reef, which forms the only harbor in the vi
cinity. A town gradually grew up near the recife, by
which name it was called. For its inhabitants the
magnates of Olinda cherished the most sovereign con
tempt, calling them mascates or pedlers. Neverthe
less, interest at length gained an ascendency over both
romance and aristocracy. The city of the reef became
the capital; and Olinda, although still proud of her
situation and her early greatness, has degenerated into
the insignificance of a suburb to her rival.
Pernambuco is situated in 8° 6' S. latitude, and
35° 1' W. longitude. It contains at the present time
about sixty thousand inhabitants, among whom are
enumerated one hundred and sixty French, one hundred

PERNAMBUCO. 119
and twenty-five English, and three hundred Germans,
including a party of two hundred German laborers,
who arrived during my visit, under contract for the ser
vice of the provincial government. Of North Ameri
cans, the number resident in Pernambuco seldom ex
ceeds a dozen.
This city is divided into three parishes or districts,
called severally S. Pedro de Gonsalves or Recife, S.
Antonio, and Boa Vista. It contains within its whole
extent seventeen churches and chapels, besides the
recently erected British chapel ; two monasteries, three
recolhimentos, six hospitals, public and private, a thea
tre, a government palace, custom-house, prison, marine
and military arsenals, and three suits of barracks for
troops. Its institutions for public instruction are a
lyceum, two Latin and seven primary schools. It has
three printing presses, publishing two daily newspa
pers and three other periodicals, besides occasional
volumes of books. Its streets are paved in part, and
illuminated by three hundred and sixty lamps. Four
fortresses for the defence of the city were erected in
olden time — the Picao, on the extremity of the reef;
the Brum and the Buracco, on the sandy shore towards
Olinda; and Cinco Pontas, or the Pentagon, on the
southern front of the city.
This city is still frequently denominated the Recife,
although it is chiefly known abroad by the more eu
phonious name of Pernambuco, derived from the pro
vince of which it is the capital. It ranks as the
third city in Brazil.
Immediately after the S. Sebastian came to her
moorings I went on shore, and called upon Joseph
Ray, Esq., consul of the United States, who not only

120 HOUSES — OBSERVATORY.
received me in the most cordial manner, but gene
rously insisted upon my making his house my home;
and a most hospitable home I found it during a sojourn
of nearly two months in that city.
Many of the houses of Pernambuco are built in a
style unknown in other parts of Brazil. That occu
pied by Mr. Ray, stood fronting the water side. Its
description may serve as a specimen of the style re
ferred to. It was six stories high. The first or ground
floor was denominated the armazem, and was occupied
by male servants at night ; the second furnished apart
ments for the counting-room, consulate, &c. ; the third
and fourth for parlors and lodging rooms ; the fifth for
dining rooms, and the sixth for a kitchen. Readers
of domestic habits, will perceive that one special ad
vantage of having a kitchen located in the attic, arises
from the upward tendency of the smoke and effluvia
universally produced by culinary operations. A dis
advantage, however, inseparable from the arrange
ment, is the necessity of conveying various.,_heavy
articles up so many flights of stairs. Water might be
mentioned for example, which, in the absence of all
mechanical contrivances for such an object, was car
ried up on the heads of negroes. Any one will perceive
that the liability of mistake, in endeavoring to pre
serve the equilibrium of each vessel of water thus
transported, exposed the lower portion of the house to
the danger of a flood. Surmounting the sixth story,
and constituting in one sense the seventh, was a
splendid observatory, glazed above and on all sides.
The prospect from this observatory was extended
and interesting in the extreme. It was just such a
place as the stranger should always seek in order to

PANORAMA. 121
receive correct impressions of the locality and environs
of the city. His gaze from such an elevation will not
fail to rest with interest upon the broad bay of Per
nambuco, stretching with a moderate, but regular in
curvation of the coast, between the promontory of
Olinda and Cape St. Augustine, thirty miles below.
This bay is generally adorned with a great number of
jangadas, which, with their broad latine sails, make no
mean appearance. Besides the commerce of the port
itself, vessels often appear in the offing bound on dis
tant voyages, both north and south. No port is more
easy of access. A vessel bound to either the Indian
or the Pacific Ocean, or on her passage homeward to
either the United States or Europe, may, with but a
slight deviation from her best course, put into Per
nambuco. She may come to an anchor in the Lameirao
or outer harbor, and hold communication with the
shore, either to obtain advices or refreshments, and
resume her voyage at pleasure, without becoming sub
ject to port charges. This is very convenient for
whaling ships and south sea traders, which accordingly
make this port a great rendezvous. In order to dis
charge or receive cargo, they are required to come
within the reef, and to conform to usual port regu
lations. Men of war seldom remain long here. None of
large draught can pass the bar, and those that can are
required, probably in view of the danger of accidents
when so close to the city, to deposit their powder at
the fort. Few naval commanders are willing to yield
to such a requirement, while, at the same time, their
berth in the Lameirao cannot be relied on for either
quietness or safety. The powerful winds, and heavy
Vol. II.— 16 L

122 PERNAMBUCO AND OLINDA.
roll of the sea, are frequently sufficient to part the
strongest cables. These are sufficient reasons why
Pernambuco is not a favorite naval station either for
Brazil or foreign nations. The commercial shipping
is under full view from the observatory, yet it is too
near at hand, and too densely crowded together, to
make an imposing appearance.
Olinda, seen from this distance, must attract the
attention and the admiration of every one. Of this
city, set upon a hill, one is at a loss whether to admire
most the whitened houses and massive temples, or the
luxuriant foliage interspersed amongst them, and in
which those edifices on the hill-side seem to be partially
buried. From this point a line of highlands sweeps
inward with a tolerably regular arc, terminating at
Cape St. Augustine, and forming a semilunar recon
cave, analogous to that of Bahia. The entire summit
of these highlands is crowned with green forests and
foliage. Indeed, from the outermost range of vision
to the very precincts of the city, throughout the ex
tended plain, circumscribed by five-sixths of the ima
gined arc, scarcely an opening appears to the eye,
although in fact the country overlooked is populous
and cultivated. Numbers of buildings also, within the
suburbs of the city, are overtowered, and wholly or
partially hid by lofty palms, mangueiras, cajueiros, and
other trees. . The interval between Recife and Olinda
is in striking contrast to this appearance. It is a per
fectly barren bank of sand, a narrow beach, upon one
side of which the ocean breaks, while, on the other
side, only a few rods distant and nearly parallel, runs
a branch of the Beberibe river. This stream is navi
gable to boats as far as Olinda, and forms the prin-

REMARKABLE BANK OF ROCKS. 123
cipal channel of communication with that place, al
though the beach may be considered a species of
turnpike. At a distance, varying from one-fourth to half a mile
from the shore, runs the bank of rocks already men
tioned as extending along the greater portion of the
northern coast of Brazil. Its top is scarcely visible at
high tide, being covered with the surf, which dashes
over it in sheets of foam. At low water it is left dry,
and stands like an artificial wall, with a surface suffi
ciently even to form a beautiful promenade in the very
midst of the sea. This natural parapet is approached
by the aid of boats. It is found to be from two to five
rods in thickness. Its edges are a little worn and
fractured, but both its sides are perpendicular to a
great depth. The rock, in its external appearance, is
of a dark brown color. When broken, it is found to be
composed of a very hard species of sandstone of a yel
low complexion, in which numerous bivalves are em
bedded in a state of complete preservation. Various
species of small sea-shells may be collected in the water-
worn cavities of the surface. At several points deep
winding fissures extend through a portion of the reef,
but in general its appearance is quite regular, much
more so doubtless than any artificial wall could be after
hundreds of years' exposure to the wearing of the ocean
waves. The abrupt opening in this reef, by which an
entrance is offered to vessels, is scarcely less remark
able than the protection which is secured to them
when once behind this rocky bulwark.
Opposite the northern extremity of the city, as
though a breach had been artificially cut, the rock
opens, leaving a passage of sufficient depth and width

124 FORT ON THE REEF.
to admit ships of sixteen feet draught, at high water.
Great skill is requisite, however, to conduct them safe
ly in ; for no sooner have they passed the reef than it
becomes necessary to tack ship, and keep close under
the lee of the rock, in order to avoid the danger of
running aground.
Close to this opening, and on the extremity of the
reef, stands the fort, built at an early day by the Dutch.
Its foundations were admirably laid, being composed
of long blocks of stone imported from Europe, hewed
square. They were laid lengthwise to the sea, and
then bound together by heavy bands of iron. A wall
of the same nature extends from the base of the forti
fication to the body of the reef. This wall appears to
have become perfectly solidified, and in fact augmented
by a slight crust of accumulating petrifaction. This
circumstance corroborates the idea that the rock, on
the whole, may be increasing, like the coral reefs of
the South Sea Islands.
In treading on a spot like this, the imagination
knows no bounds. The mind naturally reverts to the
walls of ancient and once powerful cities, now fallen
and mingled with the dust. Man made them — and, like
himself, they have turned back to the dust from which
they were taken. Yet here is a wall made without
hands, against which the mighty swell of the Atlantic
has been breaking for centuries, and yet the rock has
grown rather than diminished. Under the protection
of such a bound, which the Almighty hath set, man
may take shelter and secure an asylum from the
tempest. This reef, moreover, furnishes a sure foun
dation on which human art may enlarge almost with
out limit. Perhaps the day will come when it shall

DISTRICT OF THE RECIFE. 125
be surmounted by a line of warehouses, if not of
palaces !
The district of S. Pedro, frequently called that of
the Recife, is not large. Its buildings are most of
them ancient in their appearance; they exhibit the
old Dutch style of architecture, and many of them
retain their latticed balconies, or gelouzias. These ge-
louzias were common at Rio de Janeiro at the period
of Don John's arrival. But that monarch, dreading
the use that might be made of them, as places of con
cealment for assassins, ordered them to be pulled down,
and they are now rarely seen in the metropolis.
The principal street of the Recife is Rua da Cruz.
At its northern extremity, towards the arsenal da Ma-
rinha, it is wide, and imposing in its aspect. Towards
the other end, although flanked by high houses, it be
comes very narrow, like most of the other streets by
which it is intersected. A single bridge connects this
portion of the city with S. Antonio, the middle district.
This bridge across the Beberibe is more modern than
the one described by former travelers as having a row
of shops on either side. That having been broken
down in the revolution of 1824, was rebuilt in a dif
ferent style. It has no covering, but is flanked on
either side, and in the middle, by rows of seats, which
furnish a favorite resting-place to throngs of persons
who walk out of evenings to enjoy cool air and refresh
ing breezes. On the side towards the sea vessels
anchor near by, though they do not pass above this
bridge. At either end stands an archway, built of
brick. These arches are disconnected with the bridge,
although they span the street leading to and from it.
The principal object of their construction seems to
l2

126 SAN ANTONIO.
have been to furnish a prominent location for certain
shrines and images. These arches survived the de
struction of the old, bridge, doubtless on account of the
religious purposes to which they are devoted. That
on the side of the Recife is called the Capellinha of
Nossa Senhora. It is entered by a staircase on the
right, and has a sacristia (vestry) and mass-room. All
who pass underneath may see, through a large win
dow, a gaily ornamented altar, surmounted by the prin
cipal image, at the same time reading, in large letters,
ELECTA UT SOL. PULCHRA UT LUA.
ANNO, 1785.
The passage beneath is narrow, even for a single
carriage — yet it is occupied throughout the day with
numerous negresses, exposing their taboleiras of doces
for sale, and frequently at night with persons stretch
ed out to sleep.
The arch on the opposite side of the river also sup
ports a shrine, and exhibits images, but it is of smaller
dimensions, and is only accessible by means of a lad
der. Candles are seen blazing before these images
every night. The columns of the arch last referred to
are loaded with inscriptions ; but such was the perish
ing nature of the stone upon which they were carved,
and such the Vandal style in which the letters had
been indiscriminately smeared with paint, that the
only sentence plainly legible was —
Domine salvum fac Regem nostrum.
The other inscriptions, being in smaller characters,
would hardly be noticed to exist without a special
scrutiny in search of them.
S. Antonio is the finest part of Pernambuco, when
considered as a city. It contains the palace and military

BOA VISTA. 127
arsenal, in front of which a wall has recently been
extended along the river's bank. Just above the
water's edge has been placed a row of green painted
seats, for the accommodation of the public. These
are inviting, mornings and evenings, although in the
absence of shade trees the rays of the sun, pouring
upon the turfless sand, render the heat intolerable
throughout the day.
The principal streets of this section of the city, toge
ther with an open square used as a market-place, are
spacious and elegant. The bridge crossing the other
river is longer and more expensive than the one just
described, although the depth of the stream beneath
is not so great. On the southern or south-western
bank of this river stands the British chapel, in a very
suitable and convenient location. That edifice is built
in modern style. It is generally well attended by the
English residents, on Sabbath days, both morning and
evening. Boa Vista is very extensive, and is chiefly
occupied by residences and country seats. A few
large buildings stand near the river, and, like most of
those in the other sections of the town, are devoted in
part to commercial purposes. Beyond these, the
houses are generally low, but large upon the ground,
and surrounded by gardens, here denominated siiios.
The streets are unpaved, and unhappily suffered to
remain in a most wretched condition.
Notwithstanding the beauties of nature, and the
motives to cleanliness in such a climate, yet some of
the streets and lanes in these suburbs will even rival
the lower town of Bahia for filth and nausea. The
roads too are shocking, on account of pools of stand
ing water, which, during the rainy season, do not allow

128 THER SUBURBS.
the pedestrian to pass, unless by fording. Even the
rider on horseback may often thank his stars for the
chance of escaping to a half-drowned side-walk, to
seek safety for his animal, and to avoid the exposure
of his dress and person. This state of things is en
tirely owing to a censurable neglect and want of enter
prise ; as the soil is sandy and there exists every faci
lity for preserving dry roads.
The suburbs of Pernambuco, in this direction, are
varied in scenery and exceedingly pleasant, notwith
standing such neglect of the streets. Every particular
section has a distinct name, and some special beauties
to commend it to the admiration of its inhabitants. As
I cannot here enter into detail, I must content myself
with the bare enumeration of those places associated
in my own mind with the most pleasant recollections.
Passing through Boa Vista, towards the right, you
may visit Mondego, Solidade, Manguinho, Ponte de
Uchoa, and beyond this, passing up the river's bank a
league and a half, the country village of Beberibe.
Manguinho was the residence of Rev. Mr. Austin, pas
tor of the English congregation, in the society of whom,
together with his interesting family, I spent many plea
sant hours. I rode one morning, in his company, to
the village just mentioned, which was a place of con
siderable importance in the time of the Dutch wars.
The road was sandy, but part of the way well shaded.
We found the ancient houses of the place much dila
pidated, and but few people were seen. We had some
conversation with the magistrate of the village, and
presented him with a quantity of tracts. Monteiro and
Poco da Panella were the names of other places we
visited in that direction.

STONE BRIDGE. 129
Another morning we proceeded across the Magda-
lena bridge, in the direction of Varzea. After having
pursued, for a league or more, a fine new road which
exhibited on either hand splendid fields of sugar-cane,
and a fine open view of the country, we diverged to
the right by a private road, and after visiting the
Engenho da Torre, crossed the river at the Ponte de
Uchoa. As there was no bridge we crossed the stream
in a canoe, leading our horses by the reins, to wade or
swim as the depth might require.
The hedges in the environs of Pernambuco are simi
lar to those at Rio, although generally more rank in
growth. Many of the houses exhibit an expensive,
and at the same time tasteful, style of construction. I
was pointed to one, in the veranda of which was ar
ranged a collection of statues. The owner being a
wealthy and notorious slave-dealer, some wag, a few
years since, thinking either to oblige or to vex him,
crept in by night and supplied him with a cargo of new
negroes, by painting all the marble faces black.
Magdalena, on the left of Boa Vista, is another fa
vorite section of the town. An excellent stone bridge
across the river leads into it. The following distich,
cut in a stone column at one end, informs the foot tra
veler that he may cross free, although it by no means
speaks to either horses or carriages.
Do Augusto, o poderozo braco
Te franquea um livre passo.
In this part of the city the president of the province,
at present the Baron of Boa Vista, had his residence,
and several fine dwellings were in the process of
erection. Vol. II.— 17

130 THE FESTAS.
This region has a very tasteful appearance, and ac
cording to the praises bestowed on it by a Brazilian
friend in whose company I first passed through it, is
excessively enchanting during the holidays. Holidays,
according lo the ideas of many Brazilians, are those
to which all other days are subsidiary. It is pelo tem
po das festas that nature reserves her choicest fruits
and her most splendid flowers. The most glowing
anticipations of both old and young center in the festas.
To them the income of great and small is freely de
voted. The rich squander their abundance, and the
poor sometimes sell their last slave, which is here re
garded as the most indispensable of all possessions, to
purchase gala dresses, ornaments, and sweetmeats for
the festas. Although festas occur frequently during
the whole year, yet the Christmas holidays especially
must be given up to pleasure, and in connection with
them industry abandoned for a series of weeks. To
Brazilians it seems as providential that this period
occurs in the season of extreme heat, as it doubtless
does to many in the northern hemisphere, that the
same period finds them with short days, snug fires,
and fine sleighing. There, on the contrary, every thing
in nature seems to invite to relaxation and indulgence.
The people eagerly embrace the opportunity, and saun
ter abroad on walks, excursions, and country visits.

EXCURSION TO SUASUNA. 131

CHAPTER VII.
Excursion to Suaslina. — Original Boundaries of the Province. — Early
History. — Dutch Wars. — Revolution of lS17-of 1824. — Manoel Car-
valho. — Confederation of the Equator. — Recent quiet and prosperity.
— The 7th of September.
It was my good fortune to bear letters of introduc
tion to some distinguished citizens of Pernambuco,
one of whom was Senhor Francisco de Paula Caval-
canti d' Albuquerque, ex-president of the province and
ex-minister of the imperial government. The town
residence of this gentleman was a princely sitio on the
outskirts of Boa Vista. The buildings of Pombal, as
this sitio is denominated, are of great extent, antique
in their appearance, and being overlooked by a tower,
remind one of the style of the old feudal castles of
Europe. On calling at Pombal, I was informed that the ex-
president was spending some time at his country-seat,
the Engenho de Suasuna, about four leagues distant.
A friend offered to accompany me thither. Accord
ingly a fine day was selected for the ride oh horseback.
We entered the country by passing out of San An
tonio, leaving Boa Vista on the right. A fine aterrado,
or cast-up road, has recently been constructed in that
direction. It runs for some distance nearly parallel
with the sea-shore, and on the left commands a most
splendid view of the Ilha das Nogueiras, or, as the
English have it, Cocoa-nut Island. The first povoa-
c,ao (village) is at the Affogados bridge, leading across
a wide stream called the Tegipio. It was impossible

132 VILLAGE OF BOA VIAGEM.
to ascertain whether the singular name of this village
was derived from the parish church which belongs to
Nossa Senhora da paz dos Affogados, (Our Lady of the
Peace of the Drowned,) or whether our Lady was in
debted for this invocation to the early name of the
locality. It appeared evident, however, that either
some persons were drowned there at some period an
tecedent to the memory of the living, or else it was
apprehended that some persons would there be drown
ed. On the western extremity of the bridge stood
what Mr. Southey would call an " idol house." Its
dimensions did not exceed six feet by four. Through
the window, or the door if open, the traveler might
perceive that it contained a miniature image, most
gaudily dressed, with an altar before it.
On the sea-coast, two miles beyond the Affogados,
is the village of Boa Viagem, which, on visiting sub
sequently, I found to contain not more than eighty or
one hundred houses. These were mostly fishermen's
cabins, scattered at random through a grove of coquei-
ros. A high bank of sand upon the beach shuts out
a view of the sea, but at the same time affords some
protection against the strong ocean winds. A salt
water marsh, several rods in width, also extends
through the middle of the place, to the great inconve
nience of the inhabitants. The mango meadows, in
this direction, form excellent land when ditched and
drained. After leaving the immediate vicinity of the
sea, on our ride to Suasuna, we found that the surface
of the soil became varied by undulations of hill and
dale, while the richness of the vegetation was in no
way diminished. Buildings were not unfrequent on
either hand. Those of the sugar engenhos were an-

COURTEOUS RECEPTION. 133
cient and time worn, standing frequently at a distance
from the road. The more modern stood close by the
highway, but were of a fragile construction, having
their walls composed of sticks and mud, with a palm-
thatched roof. In these we not unfrequently saw per
sons sleeping, though generally several females ap
peared at the door seated on mats, busily sewing, or
working lace. The manner of cultivating the soil dif
fers much from that in the southern portions of the
empire. The elevated grounds are devoted to pas
ture, and often reminded me of the turf-clad hills of
the United States, although their surface lacked the
smoothness given by the plough.
We were pointed to the rich cane-fields of Suasuna
long before we came in sight of the imposing mansion
of its proprietor. Having reached that mansion at the
end of a ride somewhat protracted by crooked and
almost impassable roads, we were received with all
those generous attentions which planters are accus
tomed to extend to their guests. Senhor Cavalcanti,
the present baron of Suasuna, is a descendant of an
ancient and powerful family. His affable manners,
and excellent character, have secured him a high place
in the esteem of his countrymen. Although he had
never been abroad, his views of foreign countries were
very liberal, and especially as they related to the go
vernment and institutions of the United States.
The estate of Suasuna was large and under excel
lent cultivation. It was wrought by one hundred ne
groes. Besides rice and mandioca, it was estimated
that its sugar crops, then nearly ripe, would yield nine
thousand arrobas of sugar. The buildings grouped
around the farm-house represented a miniature village.
M

134 ORIGINAL BOUNDARIES.
On the right wing of the mansion were the saw-mill,
sugar-mill, and distillery. The machinery of the two
former was moved by water. On the left were quar
ters for slaves, a blacksmith's shop, carpenter's shop,
and barns.
As our arrangements had been to return the same
day, we were gratified to learn that his excellency
would accompany us. He led us by a private road
through his own and neighboring plantations, along
which, some of the way, stalks of the mandioca and
sugar-cane towered proudly over our heads. As we
had to ford several streams, the outriders of his excel
lency rendered great service to us and to him by pre
ceding us, to try the depth of the water. This ride
was rendered doubly interesting by the agreeable so
ciety of Senhor Cavalcanti, and by the lovely character
of the scenery through which we passed.
The original captaincy of Pernambuco reached to
the river S. Francisco on the south, and extended far
ther in every direction than does the present province.
The history of this section of Brazil is one of varied
incident. As early as 1530, the French established
themselves on the coast, and commenced trading with
the Indians. They were expelled by Duarte Coelho,
who was constituted donatary of Pernambuco, as a
reward for distinguished services in India. The abo
riginal inhabitants were, for many years, a great
scourge to the European settlers.
In 1595, the Recife was piratically captured and
sacked by James Lancaster, commander of three Eng
lish vessels, fitted out with no better motives, though
with more discretion, than the expedition of Cavendish,
whose disastrous termination has been already noticed.

EARLY HISTORY. 135
The year 1629 witnessed the commencement of the
Dutch wars on the Brazilian coast. To a narration
of the events connected with these struggles for the
future possession of the country, Mr. Southey devotes
about three hundred and fifty quarto pages. I shall
be obliged to condense the present notice of them into
a less number of lines. The original attack, on the
part of the Dutch, grew out of purely mercenary mo
tives. It was planned and executed under the auspices
of the celebrated West India Company. Proving suc
cessful at first, the Hollanders did not content them
selves with plundering the inhabitants, but determined
to make the very soil their own. Their inroads were
manfully resisted by the Portuguese, and the war, at
different times, extended along the whole coast from
Bahia to Maranham.
In 1636, Mauritz, Count of Nassau, was sent out to
take command of the troops, and to govern the new
empire. Under his direction active measures were set
on foot ; forts, cities, and palaces were built, and the
country was explored in search of mines. Agriculture
was undertaken with a strong hand, and it is easy to
imagine what changes would have been introduced into
those fertile regions by the industrious Hollanders, had
not the fate of war decided against them. In the low
grounds, the marshes and the streams that surround
the city of Pernambuco, they would have especially
gloried. But the Portuguese and Brazilians, under their dis
tinguished leaders, Camarao,* Henrique Diaz, Souto,
and Joao Fernandes Vieyra, kept up such incessant
and effectual attacks upon their settlements, as to
* Felipe Camarao was an Indian, and Henrique Diaz was a ne°-ro.

136 DUTCH WARS.
cause them ever and anon to rally their forces with the
revengeful determination of exterminating the enemy.
But the enemy was either not to be found, or he was
lying in ambush to do them a greater injury than
could possibly be effected while they remained in their
forts and camps. Finally, at the end of twenty-four
years' unceasing warfare, the Dutch found themselves
less able to maintain their position than when they
first gained it. The decisive battle of the Guararapes,
a narrow pass in a range of hills about four leagues
south of the Recife, went fearfully against them, and
early in the year 1654 they capitulated, and retired
from the country.
The Portuguese having again assumed the govern
ment, the history of Pernambuco remained, for a long
period, identified with that of the country at large.
The jealousies, intrigues, and contentions that grew
out of the rivalry between the patricians of Olinda
and the plebians of the Recife, which raged about
the year 1710, hardly deserve to be noticed as an ex
ception. After a period of tranquillity extending through an
hundred and fifty years, in which Brazil seemed not
to dream of an emancipation from colonial dependence,
it was at Pernambuco that the first struggle for free
dom was made. It was a poorly organized and an
ill-fated scheme, and has received but little attention
from either Brazilian or foreign writers ; yet, doubt
less, it deserves to be regarded as the precursor of the
revolution of independence, which took place a few
years after. As early as 1814, the old order of things
began to be disturbed. The rights of nations were
discussed in the masonic lodges. Brazilian dinners

REVOLUTION OF 1817. 137
were given, from which the flour and wines of Europe
were excluded. The mandioca, with other produc
tions and fruits of the country, were served up with
ostentation, and toasts were given defying the tyranny
of kings, and menacing the European Portuguese. In
1817, trouble was anticipated from these movements
by some who reported them to the governor as sedi
tious. That officer manifested but little energy or
courage in preventing an outbreak.
Finally, on the 5th of March, he called a council, in
which it was resolved to arrest seventy persons sup
posed to be conspirators. The third person arrested,
an officer in the army, plunged his sword to the heart
of the general who had ordered his imprisonment.
This first act of bloodshed was the signal for revolu
tion. The military rushed to arms in favor of the
conspirators, and in a short time had possession of S.
Antonio. The governor took refuge in the fortress of
Brum, and ordered the bridge to be cut down for the
preservation of Recife. This was prevented, and soon
that portion of the city was in the hands of the revo
lutionists. Their watch word was "Viva a patria, mata
os marinheiros," — "Hurrah for the country, but kill
the sailors," meaning the Portuguese. Notwithstanding
this bloody motto, their standard was the white flag.
Under the temporary success which crowned their
efforts, the governor was summoned to surrender, and,
after yielding to a humiliating capitulation, was im
mediately sent off to Rio de Janeiro. A provisional
government of five persons was now organized, at the
head of which was a learned ecclesiastic named Joam
Ribeiro. This government issued various proclama
tions, which called upon the people to shake off the
Vol. II.— 18 » m 2

138 REVOLUTION SUPPRESSED.
yoke of a corrupt and expensive court, where every
thing was done for the advantage of favorites, and
nothing for the good of the nation. An administra
tion more national, and less expensive, was promised.
The ancient formula of speech was proscribed as
savoring of servility. The significant vos, (you,) was
to be adopted instead of the formal vossa merce, (your
goodness.) Patriota should also take the place of
Senhor. The armorial bearings of Portugal appeared no
more as official ornaments, and the portraits of kings
were no longer exhibited for the veneration of the peo
ple. A press was now, for the first time, procured
for the province. In the course of a month things
began to appear settled and prosperous. Alagoas, then
a district of Pernambuco, Parahiba, and Rio Grande
do Norte, were added to the coalition, and it was anti
cipated that Ceara, Maranham, and possibly Bahia,
would also join it.
But the event soon disappointed these sanguine ex
pectations. Provisions and arms were in demand, but
before they could be procured the Count dos Arcos,
governor of Bahia, organized a battalion of troops to
attack Pernambuco by land, and the government sent
an armament to invest the port by sea. Thus, before
the end of May, this revolution was suppressed, with
out any great loss of life. Two of the leaders having
been captured were publicly executed, and the unfor
tunate abbot Ribeiro, committed suicide. To the eter
nal disgrace of the Portuguese, the bloody head of this
man was paraded through the streets on the end of a
pike. Seven years afterwards the declaration of Brazilian

MANOEL CARVALHO. 139
independence, under Don Pedro, found an immediate
and cordial response at Pernambuco. The Portuguese
were expelled without any aid from abroad, and the
constitutional government was immediately established
and administered with success. This circumstance
gave fresh encouragement to the independent spirit
which the Pernambucans had proudly cherished since
the days when their ancestors vanquished the Dutch.
They soon became dissatisfied with the policy of Don
Pedro, and it was declared in their public prints, that
they might as well have remained a colony of Portugal
as to become a colony of Rio de Janeiro.
At this juncture a plan was set on foot for the for
mation of a new republic in the northern part of Brazil.
At the head of an association formed for this object
was Manoel Carvalho Paes de Andrada, the elected
president of the province. He was a young man of
winning manners, an ardent temperament, and of con
siderable popularity. His democratic principles being
known, he was suspected by the royalist administra
tion, and accordingly a new president, nominated by
the Emperor, was sent up from the metropolis to take
his place. But the inhabitants of Pernambuco, con
vened in general assembly, thrice refused to acknow
ledge any authority save that of the person whom they
had elected.
The port was consequently blockaded for three
months, but with little effect. On the 20th of March,
1824, Carvalho was unexpectedly arrested, through the
defection of two of his officers. The garrison of Fort
de Brum, where he was conveyed a prisoner, revolted
in his favor. All the troops, with the exception of those
implicated in his arrest, also declared in behalf of the

140 DON PEDRO DENOUNCED.
popular cause ; and, before many hours had elapsed,
Carvalho was again reinstated in the presidency, and
the refractory battalion sent off to Barra Grande, a
small port in the province of Alagoas. The blockade
was now withdrawn for a time.
Carvalho's administration now for a time seemed
to be an integral portion of the imperial government.
Meanwhile it proceeded to engage a small naval force,
and was only waiting a favorable moment for the more
complete execution of its treacherous plans. About
this juncture an imperial manifesto was received,
stating that a squadron was now fitting out in the
Tagus, for the invasion of Brazil ; and that, as the
Emperor was incompetent to protect the whole coast,
the Pernambucans would, for a time, be required to
rely upon themselves for means of defence.
This occasion was deemed, by Carvalho and his
partisans, a fit one for carrying the projected revolu
tion into effect. Proclamations were accordingly issued
by the president on the 2d of July, denouncing Don
Pedro as a traitor, whose intention it was to abandon
Brazil to the Portuguese, at the same time calling on
the various provinces of the north, to disclaim the
authority of the imperial government, and to combine
in an alliance to be entitled the " Confederation of the
Equator." The troops were also placed under arms,
and all necessary measures were taken for the defence
of the city. A large number of the inhabitants of
Parahiba, Rio Grande do Norte, and Ceara, subse
quently declared in favor of the same cause, but the
movement was less unanimous than had been antici
pated. Misled by the enthusiasm existing in the- city of

LORD COCHRANE'S DIPLOMACY. 141
Pernambuco, the conspirators had expected that the
whole country would rise in arms at their call. But
the pacific inhabitants of the interior were too indif
ferent to such schemes, and too much in the habit of
implicit obedience, to be at all ripe for the project.
Barretto, afterwards created Marquis de Recife, the
proprietor of an extensive territory near Cape St.
Augustine, took up arms in the cause of the Emperor;
while the troops who had before arrested Carvalho, as
well as a number of partisans, rallied round his stand
ard. Here Carvalho besieged them by land, and at
the same time with a small naval force blockaded them
by sea, but without any decided results.
Intelligence of these proceedings having reached
Rio de Janeiro, measures were taken to arrest them.
The right of " habeas corpus," conceded by the con
stitution, was suspended throughout Pernambuco. An
other president was appointed — a native of the pro
vince. A squadron was fitted out under Lord Coch
rane, carrying a division of twelve hundred men, under
General Francisco de Lima. The soldiers were land
ed at Maceio, with the design of co-operating with the
troops of Barretto, while his lordship proceeded to
blockade the city. This individual, who had so re
peatedly distinguished himself by boldness and energy
in war, now resorted to the milder measures of diplo
macy. He issued repeated proclamations, stating his
persuasion that the dissentions now agitating Pernam
buco had their origin in erroneous impressions regard
ing the events which had taken place in Rio de Janei
ro, and he volunteered to act as a mediator between
the insurgents and the Emperor. He recalled to their
attention the distracted state of the Spanish republics

142 BOMBARDMENT OF PERNAMBUCO.
throughout South America, and he finally threatened
to increase the rigor of the blockade; to destroy their
shipping, and by sinking vessels in the mouth of the
harbor, to block up all entrance into the port, unless
the integrity of the empire were again acknowledged
within eight days from the date of his first proclama
tion. This threat failing entirely of its object, Lord
Cochrane availed himself of the services of Mrs. Gra
ham, known as authoress of the " Journal of a Voyage
to Brazil," who happened to arrive opportunely as a
passenger in the English packet from Falmouth. This
lady accepted the office of endeavoring to arrange an
interview between Cochrane and Carvalho on board
a French brig of war. Failing in this, she was next
entrusted with terms of peace ; but all in vain. Car
valho replied to the overtures by offering the admiral
four hundred thousand milreis in case he would aban
don the imperial -cause, and come over to the repub
licans. It was now time for an indignant refusal, and
all further negotiations were broken off.
A schooner was fitted out to bombard the city, and
the inhabitants of the Recife began to withdraw to the
interior with their slaves and movable property. The
schooner commenced throwing her shells about mid
night, on the 28th of August, but with so little effect
that she was soon withdrawn. Larger vessels dared
not approach too near the shore or the reef. About
this time it was found that the rocky bottom of the
Lameirao had possessed itself of all the anchors, save
one, of the admiral's flag ship. Thus he was forced
to abandon the blockade.
In the meantime the troops of General Lima form
ed a junction with those of Barretto. The forces of

FLIGHT OF CARVALHO. 143
the republicans were still in greater numbers, but as
they were far behind their opponents in discipline,
and met with but little of that ardent co-operation
which they had anticipated, they were unable to oppose
any effectual barrier to the invading force. After a
succession of skirmishes, terminating in every instance
to the advantage of the imperial army, General Lima
finally entered Pernambuco on the 11th of September.
Suffice it to say, that Carvalho's cause was now
lost, and he found himself obliged to flee in the night,
and take refuge on board the British corvette Tweed.
" The imperial troops had expected to apprehend
him on his estate in Santa Anna, about two leagues
from the capital — but they were disappointed. On
arriving there they found his mother only, and she was
engaged in her devotions. The private chapel was
brilliantly illuminated, and it may be recorded as a
trait of national manners, that for more than six
months she had burned tapers night and day, before
the shrine of Our Lady of Conception — to whom she
had also, during the same period, directed her fervent
but fruitless supplications, for the success of the cause
in which her son was engaged."
Only three of the individuals connected with this
insurrection were subsequently executed. Their names
were Ratcliff, Metrowich, and Loureiro, persons of no
great prominence, or of very conclusive guilt. But it
was thought necessary to make an example which
should be a warning to any who might be disposed to
revive the project of an " Equatorial Confederation."
Carvalho absented himself from the country till the
storm was over, and after his return was elected a
senator of the empire, which office he still retains.

144 CONSPIRACIES SUPPRESSED.
Soon after the Emperor's abdication, in 1831, the
quiet of Pernambuco was disturbed by a revolt among
the troops. On the 14th of September, about a thou
sand soldiers took possession of the city and plundered
it. On the 16th the citizens rallied, aided by some
troops from the adjoining country, marched into the
town, and routed the insurgents.
Again in January, 1835, about two hundred troops,
in the vicinity, united with the faction of the cabanos,
heretofore mentioned, and attacked the city, but to no
purpose, being soon dispersed by an active president.
As late as 1842, a secret plot against the government
was set on foot ; but the Baron of Boa Vista, in his
capacity of president of the province, obtained infor
mation of it in time to suppress and to apprehend
eight or ten conspirators.
None of these recent disorders have been of suffi
cient magnitude, or permanency, to interrupt the gene
ral prosperity of Pernambuco. Few provinces of the
empire have made greater improvement, or, on the
whole, have shown a more consistent attachment to
the general government. There is a vast difference,
however, between the enterprise and intelligence that
so generally appear in the city of Pernambuco, and
the condition of the inhabitants throughout large por
tions of the interior of the province. Schools are as
yet but in their infancy, and the means of communi
cation are quite inferior. A large party of Germans
was engaged by the province in 1839, to work chiefly
on the roads and bridges. Their situation, however,
was rendered very unpleasant by the sentiments that
prevailed with respect to free labor, and the manner
in which they consequently were treated, being fie-

THE SEVENTH OF SEPTEMBER. 145
quently, when engaged at work, taunted and ridiculed
as escravos brancos, white slaves.
The government palace of Pernambuco is the an
cient college of the Jesuits, strangely diverted from its
original design. Until recently the chapel had been
reserved for religious purposes, but on passing it on
one of my morning walks, I observed that mechanics
were removing the gilt work preparatory to convert
ing it into a sala de cortejo.
I was present in that city on the 7th of September,
at the celebration of the anniversary of Brazilian inde
pendence. The government palace was thrown open
for a beija moo, to which the consuls of foreign nations,
and other persons of distinction, were invited, in order
to make the pomp and parade of the day the most
splendid possible. There was, at the same time, a fair
display of the military. On this occasion I was im
pressed more forcibly than ever with the fact, that
none of the public ceremonies of the country seem at
all calculated to improve the public mind or morals.
The only ambition manifest, runs in the line of seeing
and being seen. Not an oration is delivered, no de
claration of independence is read, nor is there a single
exercise introduced, even into the most important of
the national festivals, from which the people m.ay re
ceive instruction in the nature and principles of civil
liberty. Vol. II— 19 N

146 STATE OF RELIGION.

CHAPTER VIII.
State of Religion.— Church of San Joze.— Festas.— Novenas.— Sebas-
tianists. — Enchanted Kingdom of PianccS.— Slaughter of Innocents.
— Fanaticism. — The Bible in Pernambuco. — Zeal of a Padre in its
distribution. — River passage to Olinda. — Appearance and condition
of that City. — Botanical Garden. — Decay of Public Edifices. — Pano
rama. — Melancholy suggestions. — Law University. — The Prison
and the Palace.
The state of religion at Pernambuco is not obvi
ously different from that in other parts of the empire.
The monasteries are in low repute, having at present
but few inmates. The hospicio of the Barbadinhos,
or Italian Capuchins, has been converted into a found
ling hospital. None of the churches are remarkable
for their beauty, or splendor of construction. That of
Nossa Senhora da Conceie,ao dos militares is distin
guished for a singular painting upon its walls, designed
to represent the battle of the Carapes, and to comme
morate the victory which was then obtained over the
heretical Hollanders.
As a means of conveying to the reader an idea of
the ordinary arrangement of the parish churches, I
will note the circumstance of my visit to that of S.
Joze, situated near the fort Cinco Pontas. I had
taken an early walk one morning to examine what
might, with some propriety, be denominated the ruins
of the old pentagonal fortress, and on my return
passed by the church mentioned. The sachristia only
was open; but the sacristao, a sociable old mulatto,
seemed very desirous of showing me the temple under

CHURCH OF SAN JOZE. 147
his charge, and accordingly ushered me into it through
a side door. The edifice was plain, but substantial in
its appearance. Its ceiling was high. The area with
in the nave was entirely open, and destitute of seats,
or fixtures of any kind. The only objects of especial
interest were the images. Of these there were five.
That of S. Joze, or as the old sexton called him, the
" owner of the house," occupied the chief altar, at the
extremity, opposite the front door. The remaining
were arranged on opposite sides of the house, in the
following order, which indicates the rank attributed to
them severally.
2. Nossa Senhora do Bom Parto, (Our Lady of good
«3irth.) 3. Nossa Senhora das Merces, (Our Lady of Mercy.)
4. Nosso Senhor Bom Jesus, (Our Lord the good
Jesus.) 5. Nosso Senhor Jesus Preso, (Our Lord Jesus a
Prisoner.) As a compensation for his politeness to me, I put in
the hands of the sacristao the tracts entitled O Do
mingo, and As despedidas d'um viajante, with which he
seemed as well satisfied as with the privilege of show
ing his church.
From what I saw of religious festivals at Pernam
buco, I judged that they were entered into with greater
spirit, and with more apparent devotion, on the part
of 'the festaj adores, than at Rio de Janeiro. One even
ing, accompanied by some friends, I visited a church
in which they were chanting a novena connected with
the feast of Santa Anna mai da Mai de Deos. The
music was performed chiefly by a choir in the orches
tra, to which a priest, standing in front of the chief

148 NOVENAS.
altar, gave the responses of the litany. The body of
the church was nearly filled with females, some of
whom joined in the chant. I confess I could discern
but little melody amongst the plentiful discords of this
occasion. I was much more interested the following night,
when returning from a ride in the country I suddenly
came to a crowd assembled in front of the chapel of
the Carmelite convent. As many as one hundred and
twenty persons were kneeling and standing on the
flagged platform, also engaged in singing a novena be
fore an image of the Virgin, which looked down upon
them from a lofty niche in the chapel's front. The
females were arranged in the outer portion of the
group, while a knot of young men in the middle offici
ated as choristers. They had no light save that of
the brilliant moon, which threw a peculiar enchant
ment over the scene as the shrill voices of the worship
ers rose on the evening air.
Not long before I visited the province, scenes had
occurred in the interior of Pernambuco, which gave a
melancholy proof that fanaticism, in its worst features,
is not confined to Protestant countries. The follow
ing narrative, which I condense from official docu
ments, may challenge a parallel to be found in either
history or mythology. In order that the reader may
fully understand it, I will remind him that there pre
vails in Portugal, and to some extent in Brazil, a sect
called Sebastianists. The distinguishing tenet of this
sect is the belief that Don Sebastian, the king of Por
tugal, who, in 1577, undertook an expedition against
the Moors in Africa, and who, having been defeated,
never returned, is still alive, and is destined yet to

SEBASTIANISTS. 149
make his re-appearance on earth. Numberless dreams
and prophecies, together with the interpretation of
marvellous portents confirming this idea, have been
circulated with so much of clerical sanction, that many
have believed the senseless whim. Nor have there
been lacking persons, at various periods, who have
undertaken to fulfill the prophecies, and to prove them
selves the veritable Don Sebastian.
Nevertheless the prime point of faith is, that he will
yet come, and that too, as each believer has it, in his
own lifetime. The Portuguese look for his appear
ance at Lisbon, but the Brazilians generally think
it most likely that he will first revisit his own city, St.
Sebastian. It appears, however, that a reckless villain, named
Joao Antonio, fixed upon a remote part of the pro
vince of Pernambuco, near Piancd, in the Comarca de
Flores, for the appearance of the said D. Sebastian.
The place designated was a dense forest, near which
were known to be two acroceraunian caverns. This
spot the impostor said was an enchanted kingdom,
which was about to be disenchanted, whereupon Don
Sebastian would immediately appear at the head of
a great army, with glory, and with power to confer
wealth and happiness upon all who should anticipate
his coming by associating themselves with said Joao
Antonio. As might be expected he found followers, who, after
awhile, learned that the imaginary kingdom was to
be disenchanted by having its soil sprinkled with the
blood of one hundred innocent children ! In default of
a sufficient number of children, men and women were
to be immolated, but in a few days they would all rise
n2

150 ENCHANTED KINGDOM OF PIANCO.
again, and become possessed of the riches of the
world. The prophet appears to have lacked the cou
rage necessary to carry out his bloody scheme, but he
delegated power to an accomplice, named Joao Fer-
reira, who assumed the title of " his Holiness," put a
wreath of rushes upon his head, and required the pro
selytes to kiss his toe, on pain of instant death. After
other deeds too horrible to describe, he commenced
the slaughter of human beings. Each parent was
required to bring forward one or two of his children
to be offered. In vain did the prattling babes shriek
and beg that they might not be murdered. The un
natural parents would reply, " No, my child, there is
no remedy," and forcibly offer them. In the course
of two days he had thus, in cold blood, slain twenty-
one adults and twenty children, when a brother of the
prophet, becoming jealous of " his Holiness," thrust
him through and assumed his power. At this juncture
some one ran away, and apprised the civil authorities
of the dreadful tragedy.
Troops were called out who hastened to the spot,
but the infatuated Sebastianists had been taught not
to fear any thing, but that should an attack be made
upon them it would be the signal for the restoration of
the kingdom, the resurrection of their dead, and the
destruction of their enemies. Wherefore on seeing the
troops approach they rushed upon them, uttering cries
of defiance, attacking those who had come to their
rescue, and actually killing five, and wounding others,
before they could be restrained. Nor did they submit
until twenty-nine of their number, including three
women, had actually been killed. Women, seeing their
husbands dying at their feet, would not attempt to

THE SCRIPTDRES. 151
escape, but shouted " the time is come ; viva, viva,
the time is come!" Of those that survived a few
escaped into the woods, the rest were taken prisoners.
It was found that the victims of this horrid delusion
had not even buried the bodies of their murdered off
spring and kinsmen, so confident were they of their
immediate restoration.
I found that at. Pernambuco some efforts had already
been made to disseminate the Scriptures. As early as
1823 about fifty Portuguese Testaments had been gra
tuitously distributed by an American gentleman. In
1833 an English gentlemen received a small consign
ment of Bibles. This individual, to save himself in
convenience, left the box open in the custom-house for
any one to carry away the books at pleasure. But
such was the general indifference to the subject, that
considerable time elapsed before the sacred volumes
were all taken. In 1836, Rev. Mr. A. had brought
out fifty Bibles and a quantity of Testaments, a por
tion of which he had disposed of by gift and sale. I
found this gentleman much engrossed in his own pas
toral duties, but at the same time deeply interested for
the welfare of the people among whom he resided. His
opinion was, that there never had been a more favor
able opportunity than the present for the introduction
of truth and of a pure worship into this portion of
Brazil. What was most needed in view of this object,
was a number of fearless and faithful Brazilian
preachers. Through him, I was made acquainted with a priest
who had already become convinced of the necessity of
some new measures for enlightening the people, and
who had recently taken an active interest in circulating,

152 BRAZILIAN PADRE.
Bibles and tracts. I met with this padre a few days
after my arrival in the city. He came into the house
of a friend with whom I was dining, and happening to
lay his hand upon some of the new tracts which I
brought along, he broke forth in expressions of delight,
saying that he had use for a quantity of these publica
tions. In addition to their subject matter, he was par
ticularly pleased with their severally bearing the
imprint of Rio de Janeiro, a circumstance that indi
cated the radiation of light from that important point.
This individual was a man fifty years old, as much
like the ex-regent Feijo in his appearance as any other
Brazilian I ever saw. Part of his education he had
received in Portugal; part in Brazil. He had once
been chaplain to the prison Island of Fernando de
Noronha. Owing to his recent change of views on
several important topics, he had suffered considerable
persecution from his bishop and some other clergy, but
he seemed in no way disheartened by this.
His opinion was, that the silent distribution of tracts
and Scriptures among those persons and families dis
posed to read and prize them, was the best method of
doing good in the country at present. And most faith
fully did he pursue that method, calling on me every
few days for a fresh supply of evangelical publications.
I one day returned his visit, and found him sur
rounded with quite a library, among which his Bible
attracted my attention, as having been for a year or
two past his one book. Almost every page in it was
marked as containing something of very especial in
terest. I could but wish that all, with whom the Bible
is not a rare book, prized it as highly as did this padre,
who after having spent the greater portion of his life as

RIVER PASSAGE TO OLINDA. 153
a minister of religion according to the best of his pre
vious knowledge, now in his declining years had found
the word of God to be " a light to his feet and a lamp
to his path."
My first visit to Olinda was made in the company of
Mr. and Mrs. R. We took a canoe and passed up the
inner passage, which in the coolness of the morning
was very pleasant. The canoes used here are of a
different rbrm from those constructed for deep water.
They are navigated almost entirely by the aid of set
ting-poles. The canoeiros are generally large and
powerful negroes, each one of whom navigates his own
canoe singly. They have various dignities distributed
among themselves, corresponding to military titles.
Certain individuals, by suffrage of the body, are
elected severally to the rank of sergeant, ensign, lieu
tenant, captain, major, and colonel. Nor are their
honors merely nominal. When commissioned officers
are met by inferiors or privates, they are entitled to a
salute of one, two, three, or four strokes upon the
water, with the vara or setting-pole. The number of
strokes is graduated by the rank of the individual sa
luted, who always returns the compliment with a single
stroke. An omission thus to salute is regarded as a
crime in this aquatic community, and is subject to pun
ishment. In case, however, one canoeiro has the skill
or good fortune to run past a superior in rank, no
ceremonies are required of him.
Ten towers of churches and convents may be counted
in the approach to Olinda. But nothing can exceed
the contrast between the charming appearance of the
town when seen at a distance, and the state of decay
and abandonment which it presents on being entered.
Vol. II.— 20

154 APPEARANCE OF THE CITY.
Almost every street is grown over with grass. Half
the houses appear tenantless, and the remainder are
in wretched repair, having their windows and blinds
broken out, so as to admit of uninterrupted gazing at
any stranger or straggler who may appear in the al
most forsaken thoroughfares. As to business, save
what is transacted in the vendas or groggeries, there
is scarcely the name of it known.
Our steps were first directed up the hill to a nun
nery, where Mrs. R. was desirous to procure a selec
tion of the sweetmeats prepared and kept for sale by
the sisters. Having negotiated this business with the
abbess, we passed on to the Botanical Garden. This
garden, though well located and adorned with some
valuable trees, has fewer pretensions than almost any
other in the country, on account of the scanty appro
priations made by the provincial government for its
support. Being overtaken by a sudden shower while
visiting it, we were honored with a shelter in the house
of the director, who was an elderly man, affable in his
demeanor, and apparently clever in his knowledge of
botany. He sadly lamented the narrow policy which
stinted his allowance of funds in behalf of the garden,
but did not seem disposed to put forth any efforts to
improve it for which he was not well paid.
This visit to Olinda was not of sufficient length to
satisfy my curiosity with respect to the place. Ac
cordingly, a few days afterward I made a solitary ex
cursion in more favorable weather, and remained as
long as I found any thing of interest to observe. I
visited the convents of the Carmo and San Bento, the
church of S. Pedro, and the Se or Cathedral. The
latter is a fine spacious building, ornamented in very

PEDRO D'ARAUJO LIMA, VISCOUKT OF OLINDA.

PANORAMA. 155
good taste, though not in the richest style. The prin
cipal buildings besides these, are the Franciscan Con
vent, the Nunnery, the Misericordia, the Bishop's
Palace, an Episcopal Seminary, and the Cur so Juri-
dico. These buildings are nearly all situated in com
manding positions on different parts of the hill. Their
towers and massive walls will yet long stand as me
morials of the enterprise and zeal of their founders,
among whom the Jesuits were foremost. But unless
the present occupants shall devote to these edifices
more care and attention than most of the surrounding
buildings receive, the day is not very distant when they
will be looked upon as masses of ruins. Even now
they exhibit so many proofs that the effacing fingers
of time are at work upon them, that all the glories of
nature by which they are surrounded, cannot suffice
to remove sadness from the heart of the visitor who
wanders in their midst.
From the heights of Olinda the traveler looks out,
as from a watchtower, upon the green ocean, whose
waves are crested with foam wherever they break over
the rocky reefs that line the coast, or dash upon the
sandy beach beneath him. He stretches his gaze over
the rival city, proud in her increasing wealth and com
merce. Far beyond this, his eye falls upon the pro
montory of St. Augustine, and thence instinctively
follows the curving line of highlands that skirt the re
concave, back to the spot on which he stands; and
behold, what subjects of contemplation surround him !
In the midst of a splendid vegetation, where every leaf
is burnished by the radiance of a tropical sun, and
waves in a constant breeze, the silence of death seems
to reign. The history of former years comes up as if

156 LAW UNIVERSITY.
to sing the requiem of ruined ambition and defeated
hope, and to repeat the melancholy reflection, sic transit
gloria mundi. Thus Athens fell into ruins ; thus Rome,
with all her power, decayed ; and thus Olinda, the beau
tiful, so long the seat of power, both under the Portu
guese and the Dutch, seems to be prematurely going
the way of all the earth.
So far as locality merely is concerned, it is still a
suitable place for a literary institution, and it was said
that the various disbursements caused by the Curso
Juridico formed its principal support, but a withdrawal
of even this was contemplated. There were, at the
time of my visit, about two hundred students enrolled
as members of the institution. I was grieved to learn,
from credible authority, that a large number of the
young men here pursuing a course of legal studies,
avowed the principles of infidelity. Little seemed to
be done to oppose the spread of these corrupting sen
timents, save that they were inefficiently assailed from
time to time, in some humorous articles published in
the newspapers by one of the professors. The prin
ciples and habits of these young gentlemen suffered,
as a matter of course, from the lack of good society in
the place. Corresponding to these facts, it is not very
surprising to learn from a recent report of the minister
of the empire, that a spirit of turbulence has for a long
time prevailed among the students, to the great preju
dice of scholastic improvement. To such a degree,
indeed, had abuses of various sorts crept in, that the
propriety of entirely abolishing the department of the
institution known as the collegio das artes was gravely
suggested to the imperial legislature of 1844.
I scarcely observed in all Olinda, a single dwelling-

THE PRISON AND THE PALACE. 157
house which indicated the residence of a person of good
taste or of industry. On the contrary, broken win
dows, naked children, numerous grog-shops, and slo
venly habits of every description, indicated beyond a
doubt that the great mass of the people, and particu
larly those who inhabited the declivity of the hill, were
of the very lowest order. Trees of spontaneous growth,
and of great beauty, promiscuously filled almost every
open space, but I looked in vain for a well-cultivated
garden ; even that of the government, before alluded
to, although it contained some rows of splendid bread
fruit trees, mangueiras, and the loftiest palms, yet was
at the same time occupied by some old horses as a
pasture. Before taking leave of Olinda, I must notice the
theatre, the prison, and the palace. The theatre is
a long, low building, bearing no marks of antiquity.
A young man who served me as a guide, stated that it
was ordinarily inhabited by a woman, who gave place
when any of the students wished to display their his
trionic powers, or when any wandering juggler came
along to entertain the community.
The prison is a very spacious building, occupying a
splendid locality. Its grated windows endure, while
those of the government palace, a few rods distant,
have all disappeared. On my former visit our com
pany observed a solitary female looking out of a win
dow in the fourth story ; however painful her imprison
ment might have been in other respects, she certainly
could not complain of a want of fine air, or of enchant
ing prospects. These circumstances were somewhat
in contrast with the common ideas of a dungeon.
Moreover, so far as we could judge, this woman ap-
O

158 ANCIENT MAURICIUS.
peared to be as well employed as most of her neigh
bors, to wit, in gazing at the passers by.
The palace appeared entirely abandoned. Over its
principal door I read the following inscription :
" Regnante Invictissimo Portugaliee Rege D. Alfonso
VI. Hanc Regiam Basilicam Resedificavit Andreas
Vidal de Negreiros Hujus Colonise moderator Dignis-
simo. 1660."
Olinda deserves to be classed with S. Vicente, and
the two places may be considered as exhibiting the
classic remains of the colonial system of Portugal.
Olinda, however, reminds us nearly as much of the
Dutch as it does of the Portuguese, being known in the
annals of Holland as the ancient Mauricius, upon which
the ambitious Count of Nassau staked his fortune and
his fame.

VOYAGE TO 1TAMARACA. 159

CHAPTER IX.
Voyage to Itamaraca. — Canoe and Canoeiros. — Arrival at the Island.
— First impressions. — The Hammock. — Customs of the People. —
Slavers. — Footsteps of St. George. — Fisheries. — Theatricals. — Image
Worship. — Cocoa Grove. — Fruits of the Island. — Salt-works. — Early
importance. — Subsequent misfortunes of the Island. — Barra de
Catuama. — Distribution of Tracts and Scriptures. — Habits of the
Islanders. After a residence of some weeks in the city of
Pernambuco I resolved to visit Itamaraca, an island
of some note on the northern coast of the province,
and also the city of Parahiba. My passage to the
island had been engaged by a friend ; and about noon
of a fine day, I was hurried to embark on board the
canoe San Bernardo, with the intelligence that the
tide having begun to flow, now furnished the most
favorable opportunity for sailing. The wind was blow
ing almost a gale, and the idea of going to sea in a
canoe did not seem very inviting. But on entering
the craft all my apprehensions subsided. I found it
not less than seven feet wide by about twenty-five in
length; yet it had been formed out of a single tree,
and was much shorter than some others to be found on
the same coast. These canoes are worth from five to
twelve hundred milreis each. The one in question
was valued at eight hundred. It had a short deck at
each end, forming beneath, what I will call the fore
and after cabins, midships being entirely open for
cargo. This canoe carried an immense triangular sail
and a jib, and had on each side an embono, or buoy,

160 MODE OF NAVIGATION.
made of two large trunks of the jangada wood fasten
ed together, and lashed to the upper edge to prevent
capsizing. It was navigated by three men. The cap
tain was a mulatto, and his two men were negroes.
They carried, besides myself, two watermen as pas
sengers. In going out, we passed alongside the Re-
gisto, to exhibit the dispatch of the vessel. It was to
be presumed that the passports of the passengers
would be here demanded, but they were not. Mine,
although it cost a round sum, had not been looked at
by any officer since leaving Rio.
We immediately bore away to the north, taking no
notice of reefs or shallows, presuming they would not
interfere with the slight draught of the canoe. There
seemed to prevail the greatest harmony between the
captain and his men, without any of those troublesome
ideas of rank and authority which commonly prevail
on salt water. They interchanged places and duties
without the least ceremony, and from the indomitable
garrulity of the proeiros, which drowned all sounds
more harmonious than their own rough voices, one
would have supposed them second to no one in conse
quence. After satisfying my curiosity about the mode
of navigation, and enjoying the fine views furnished as
we were standing off Olinda point, I took undisputed
possession of the after cabin, and extended myself for
a nap. The swell was very heavy, as we were in
shoal water, and off extreme points of land ; neverthe
less, our craft being light shipped but little water, and
we rode gaily over the surges. When I afterwards
arose we were off Pau amarello, a fort and village of
the same name, both distinguished in the history of
the country. The island to which we were bound was

ARRIVAL AT THE ISLAND. 161
just in sight from the top of the wave. About four
o'clock we landed at the Pilar a povac,ao, (settlement,)
so called after a church of Nossa Senhora do pilar,
having completed the voyage of eight leagues in four
hours. The whole coast in this part of the island is
planted with cocoa-nut trees, in the shade of which
are clustered a great number of huts and houses. Our
first movement was to the cabin of Bernardo, the cap
tain of the canoe, who kindly offered to show me to
the house of the person to whom I bore a letter. We
went, leaving my baggage to be sent for, and lo ! it
was ascertained that Senhor Galanzani had that very
afternoon gone away to be absent several days. For
tunately the name of a neighbor had been given on
the back of the letter, as a substitute in case of his
absence. Accordingly I delivered it to the family of
Senhor Martinho Joze do Sacramento, who himself
had gone out to walk. I then took a turn through the
village. I found it built without the least regularity
along paths winding in different directions. The church
was rather an ancient building, with heavy walls, and
a deserted aspect. Opposite, stood the theatre, ap
parently enjoying a much greater degree of prospe
rity. The houses generally appeared on the outside
as if built entirely of the cocoa-palm leaf, but, in fact,
this material only covered the sides, in the same style
as thatch did the roofs.
After my walk I rested in the house of Bernardo,
whose wife, a brisk and pretty little person, with black
eyes and hair, showing to admiration in contrast with
the jetty brunette of her countenance, was kindly pre
paring me a supper of fish. I was, however, soon
sent for by Senhor Martinho. In his house I was im-
Vol. II.— 21 o 2

162 FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
mediately led to consider myself at home. This domi-
cil was of rather a superior order for the place, being
built of strong taipa walls, whitewashed without, and
having a good tiled roof. It had two front rooms, and
more or less in rear, with an enclosure of a few rods
of ground for a garden. Senhor M. was a man of
about fifty years, short, thick set, and pleasant, al
though decidedly homespun in his manners. His
family consisted of a wife, a daughter, and five grand
children. The daughter, about a year previous, had
been left a widow, and had returned to the paternal
roof with her children. These children were pretty,
and more than ordinarily intelligent in their appear
ance. The greatest wonder imaginable seemed to be
entertained by old as well as young, respecting the
stranger who had come from so far a country. After
supper, which consisted of hard biscuit and butter,
with tea, which I did not drink, a rede (hammock)
was suspended from rings, at opposite corners of the
front room, and I was left to my devotions and slum
bers, truly thankful for having been preserved through
the perils of the day, and for the kind-hearted hospi
tality which I once more found to await me in a land
of strangers.
This was the first time I had slept in one of these
swinging beds, which are the true fashion of the coun
try, and as I proved by a good night's rest, quite
worthy of becoming so. The next morning I made
mine hostess a present of such eatables as had been
put up for my voyage, and they proved very accep
table to her. Breakfast was served rather late, and
partaken, in the first instance, by the old gentleman,
his eldest grandson, and myself. The female mem-

CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE. 163
bers of the family ate subsequently in another room,
notwithstanding my persuasions to induce them to
favor us with their company. The table was a high,
noble piece of furniture, standing in a corner of the
room, with one end and side against the walls. At the
other end it was my privilege to sit, in one of the two
chairs which the room, and for aught I learned to the
contrary, the house afforded. At my right hand sat
the boy on a stool, and upon the table in front of me
presided the Senhor, sitting a la Turque. Although
described as the breakfast scene, this was the general
order of our meals.
I was treated to the luxury of pure goat's milk,
which, together with the articles my box had furnish
ed, formed a superior repast. About noon a delicious
dessert of green cocoas was offered.
My first excursion upon the island extended along
the beach at low tide. Numerous interesting objects
attracted my attention, and as I was accompanied by
the grandson of Senhor Martinho, I commenced in
structing him in the elements of conchology.
At a small distance off the bar I perceived a brig at
anchor. She was doubtless a slaver, that had not quite
finished landing her cargo of human beings. This is a
favorite resort for such vessels, and one where they
are seldom disturbed. I was informed that but a short
time previously, two cargoes had been set on shore
there, the one consisting of three hundred and fifty,
and the other of four hundred slaves. It was near this
locality that a small brig-schooner had, for a rarity,
recently been captured. She was bound to Rio, but
being hotly chased by a British sloop of war, she had
put in here, and landed one hundred and thirty slaves.

164 FOOTSTEPS OF ST. GEORGE.
The president of Pernambuco learning this fact, or
dered out a Brazilian brig of war in chase. The
guilty vessel was overhauled and brought into the har
bor a prize. She had been fitted out in the Ilha do
Principe, and what seemed remarkable was the fact
that her captain and all his crew were free black men.
During this walk the lad in my company informed
me of a popular tradition which he had been taught to
believe. It was, that St. George had once visited the
island, and left his footsteps upon a ledge of rocks
near the shore. The saint is supposed to have been
accompanied by a little dog, whose track also remains.
We passed over the rock, but my guide was unable to
find the marvellous impressions, although he said he
had once seen them.
Traditions respecting Saint Thomas having visited
Brazil are very common in different parts of the coun
try. Many of them were coined by the Jesuits, and
they have passed currently among a credulous people.
Observe the logic with which the renowned Simon de
Vasconcellos proves that Saint Thomas certainly must
have been in South America. " With what show of
reason," says the Jesuit, " could the American Indian
be damned, if the Gospel had never been preached to
him? He who sent his apostles into all the world
could not mean to leave America, which is nearly half
of it, out of the question. The Gospel, therefore, must
have been preached there, in obedience to this com
mand. But by whom was it preached? It could not
have been by either of the other apostles, Paul, Peter,
John, &c. Saint Thomas, therefore, must have been
the man!" No wonder the Jesuits were able to map
out his travels from Brazil to Peru, to find traces of

CURRAES. 165
his pastoral staff, crosses erected by him, and inscrip
tions in Greek and Hebrew written by his hand. They
even brought his sandals and his mantle unconsumed
out of the volcano of Arequipa !
Owing to the bad luck of the fishermen, our dinner
was late. Their curraes or pens had scarcely caught
any thing during the day. The fish-pen (curral de
peixe) is made by stakes driven into the sandy bottom.
Small rods are attached to the stakes by means of
cross pieces and withes, and brought so close to each
other as to prevent the passage of any but the smallest
fishes. The rows of stakes generally commence at the
praya, and run in a right line into the sea, some ten,
twenty, or thirty rods, according to the depth of water,
and thence describe an inclosure, in some form between
a square and circle, with openings towards the land.
Into these the fish run with the ebb tide, and are then
easily taken in a net. The privilege of building these
curraes is licensed by government. Sometimes a place
is found for them a long way out from shore, and one
or two that I saw appeared to be on the reef itself, or
some branch of it, not less than half a league distant.
Being constructed of stakes of equal length, some of
them appear very well at a distance, and not unlike
fortifications. A great profit is generally realized by
their proprietors, and occasionally two or three hun
dred milreis per day. When, however, their products
fail, it is a public calamity to the community of island
ers and coast residents, whose principal articles of diet
are fish and the cocoa-nut. Thus dinner with us, as
with the rest, was chiefly a matter of conjecture until
four P. M. It however came, thanks to the fruitfulness
of both the sea and the dry land, consisting of fish,

166 THEATRICALS.
pirao,* and pepper gravy, abounding in caloric sufficient
to have cooked the whole mess. The old gentleman
being absent, the young one mounted the table in his
place, and served himself in the only style he seemed
to understand, and which prevails among the lower
classes, viz. using his fingers instead of knives and
forks, and sopping his morsels in the common dish of
sauce. This lad was absent through the evening on his
duties as prompter (apontador) of the theatre, which
was an evident indication of his superior literary quali
fications, and his popularity in the place. I learned
that a certain Englishman, called Henrique Inglez,
was the prime mover in theatrical matters on the
island, and one of the principal actors. I had met this
personage in the morning, when he told me he had
been in the Brazils fourteen years, and had recently
come from Para. He seemed capable of better em
ployment, but being probably afflicted with the plague
of the country, laziness, he was satisfied with turning
his hand to a profession. which at once promoted his
consequence in the eyes of the people, and kept him
from starvation. He was said to have respectable
friends, who had disowned him on account of his mar
riage with a cdbra or mulatto woman, from whom he had
since parted. I was told that the performances of the
stage, which generally occur on holiday and Sunday
evenings, are honored with "overflowing houses."
Thus the religion and amusements of this Christian
people are united. No village is too small to have a
theatre ; and a lottery, has just been granted by the
legislature of the province to filch from the pockets of
* The flour of mandioo, boiled.

RIDE ALONG THE SHORE. 167
the poor money enough to build a theatre in Per
nambuco. There are several churches in the island, and very
many of the houses have their saint or tutelar deity.
An image called Nosso Senhor Bom Jesus, passed by
in the afternoon, to which, though my host offered
neither silver nor gold, he embraced the privilege of
giving a kiss. He then passed it around the family,
to afford all its members the same privilege, saying to
the children they should do this in order to go to hea
ven. I have not before mentioned that there was an
armario, (a wooden case,) said to contain Nossa Senho
ra, occupying the most prominent place in the house.
It was closed with lock and key, and over the key hung
several rosaries, upon which I suppose the prayers di
rected to the image or its spirit were counted. I rea
soned some little with Senhor M. on the subject, who
seemed to have both as clear and as pertinacious ideas
respecting" it, as most of those who advocate bowing
down to images of wood, clay, or stone. As an ultima
tum he offered to show me the object of his spiritual
honors. I, however, declined seeing it.
On the second day, having engaged a horse for
riding, I proceeded about two miles along the southern
shore, alternately in paths among the cabins, and upon
the hard white sand of the beach. The dwellings ex
tended with more or less regularity the whole distance,
while I had the day before found them in the same
manner a mile and a half to the westward. Thus it
may be said that the whole eastern shore of Itamaraca
is covered with habitations, embowered in the shade of
one continuous cocoa-grove.
Nothing could be at once more useful and ornamen-

168 SCENERY.
tal than these magnificent palms. They are planted
in regular lines, and grow to a nearly uniform height.
Their trunks are slender and limbless, marked only by
regular scars left in their growth, as one set of decidu
ous leaves falls off, yielding the precedence to another.
Quite in their lofty top the fruit is clustered. The
leaves, though simple and plume-like in form, are ma
jestic in size. They stretch in various curves from the
common centre of each tree-top, so as to unite their ex
tremities, and form an umbrageous canopy so dense as
to be scarcely penetrated by the rays of a vertical sun.
These bowers are ever green, and whether illuminated
by sun, moon, or star-light, they shed down by varying
reflections a sombre brilliancy, calculated to chasten the
feelings and soothe the heart. Throughout all this vast
arena the grass grows wild, and the turf is intersected
by narrow, winding paths, exhibiting a white sandy
bottom beneath. Here the mild air of the grove is
freshened by an almost unceasing breeze from the sea,
while he who enjoys it can look out upon a boundless
expanse of the ocean, heaving its restless tide and
breaking into foam over the coral reefs which girt the
island. The strip of the shore planted with coqueiros,
varies from forty to one hundred rods in width. Be
yond this, the prevailing tree is the cajueiro or cashew,
which, together with the vine, the mangueira, and
other trees, produces fruit in great abundance and
perfection. It was the lamentation of every one I met, and es
pecially of mine host and hostess, that I was not there
in the summer, the season of fruit. "Agora nao ha
nada! No tempo do verao ha muita fruita, muita
manga, muita uva, muito peixe. Porem sempre ha

THE COCOA-NUT TREE. 169
muito coco verde para beber agoa. Or Sim."* " Now
there is nothing to be had. In the summer we have
an abundance of every thing — fruit, mangoes, grapes,
and fish. Nevertheless we always have a plenty of
green cocoas."
The cocoa is truly the staple vegetable, and although
many of the uses to which it may be applied are un
known or unpractised here, yet it literally furnishes the
people with meat, drink, fuel, houses, and commerce.
Besides the sale of the raw nut, the pulp is converted
into oil, the shell into dippers, and the fibrous husk
into cordage ; while all know the value of its water as
a beverage. At the same time the leaf furnishes ma
terials for the construction of an entire habitation. It
is wrought into baskets, it makes fences, and when
dried may be used for writing, while its ashes yield
potash. The terminal bud is a delicate article of food ;
the juice of the flower and stem contains sugar, and
may be fermented into wine, or distilled into spirits ;
and, finally, the case of the trunk or stem is converted
into drums, or used in the construction of buildings,
while the lower extremity is so hard as to take a
beautiful polish, after which it resembles agate.
Persons mounting the trees to pluck the fruit, carry
a fouce or hedging bill, with a short handle, to cut the
stems. It is twisted into the girdle, and the bearer, if
expert, places simply his hands and feet against the
side of the tree and walks up, if not with the agility of
a monkey, certainly with incomparable self-composure ;
* The articulation or preceding sim and nao, (yes and no,) is a pro
vincialism of this section of Brazil, having no particular signification.
It is heard at the close of nearly every sentence spoken by the lower
classes of the inhabitants of Itamaraca.
Vol. II.— 22 P

170 THE CASHEW TREE  SALT WORKS.
this is done (I am told) on the tallest and straightest
trees. The cashew tree or cajueiro, from its abundance on
the island, as well as the richness of its fruit, deserves
notice in this connection. Southey calls it the finest
of the American trees. " How beautiful it is to be
hold in its pomp, either when it is re-clothing itself, in
July and August, with the brightest verdure of its
leaves; or when, during our northern autumn, it is
covered with white and rosy-tinged blossoms ; or final
ly, in the three following months, when it is enriched
with its ruby and golden fruits, which hang amid its
leaves like pendent jewels ! Its leaves have an aro
matic odor, its flowers are exquisitely fragrant, its
shade deep and delightful. A gum exudes from its
trunk in nothing inferior to that of Senegal, and in
such abundance as to have the appearance of rain
drops upon the tree. This gum was used by the Indians
as a medicine, being pounded and dissolved in water.
This admirable tree is not common in the interior, but
towards the coast whole tracts of country, which would
else be barren, are covered with it; and the more sandy
the soil and the drier the season, the more it seems to
flourish. The possession of a spot where it grew
abundantly, used to be of such importance as often to
cause war among the natives. The fruit somewhat
resembles a pear in shape, but is longer. It is spongy
and full of a delicious juice; in any form it is excel
lent, whether in its natural state or preserved. What
a blessing would this tree be to the deserts of Arabia
and Africa."
After breakfast, at which, for a rarity, we had some
excellent bread, made of imported North American

MISFORTUNES OF THE ISLAND. 171
flour, I rode about a mile towards the centre of the
island, to the Salinas, or salt works. These are only
wrought in summer, on account of rains during the
rest of the year. The only buildings on the spot are
storehouses (armazens) for the salt. The arrange
ments for evaporation are very simple, consisting of
nothing but excavations of such a depth as to furnish
each a level spot a few yards square, into which the
sea-water can enter at high tide, and then be excluded
until the successive processes are completed by the
power of the sun. After crystalization the salt is
scraped together and transferred to the storehouses
for sale, or to canoes for exportation.
Besides that portion of the island of Itamaraca oc
cupied by the several villages, it contains three large
engenhos, or sugar estates, cultivated in the usual
manner, and producing sugar, mandioca, rice, corn,
&c. Southey, following Mr. Koster, represents this
island as having been, in former times, sorely distress
ed by three plagues. The one consisted in its being
an island, and separated by sea from the main land;
the second was the formidable red ant ; and the third
a family of valentoens, or bullies, by the name of
Guedes, who often disturbed the public peace. These
ti'uths were reduced to a proverb. I inquired of my
host if the Guedes family still remained, and whether
he knew any thing of the proverb. He at once repeat
ed it in a corrected form :
" Ilha ! quem te persegue ?
Formiga, passagem, Guedes !"
Thus remedying the tautology, and the want of
poetry, of the version which prevails in English books.

172 BARRA DE CATUAMA.
He then told me that only two out of this trio of per
secutors remained ; the large ants being still destruc
tive to agriculture — and the passage, cutting off easy
approach from the continent ; but that the valentoens
had disappeared. Although there was still a family
of the Guedes in the island, they had not the habits of
the ancient bravos.
After dinner I rode to the Barra de Catuama, the
anchorage ground at the northern extremity of the
island, and the locality of an ancient fort built by the
Dutch. Nothing like a rampart, or even a foundation,
now remained. All that was left behind the early
wars has become the prey of time and the waves. The
passage to the continent at this point is, perhaps, a
mile in width, and the water is apparently shoal. If
there indeed be at present a sufficient depth for the
entrance of vessels, the services of a skillful pilot would
be requisite to find it. Such is the changing nature
of the bottom in parts so exposed to a heavy swell and
drifting sand, that it would not be wonderful if the
ancient entrance were filled up. Yet this is the spot
where the Dutch once contemplated fixing the capital
of their conquests in South America.
On my return home, at ebb tide, I rode outward
perhaps a mile from shore, and might have proceeded
much farther upon banks of sand which the retiring
sea left dry. I thus had a beautiful demonstration of
the manner in which the island must have been form
ed originally.
Fine shells are found here, and vast quantities of
madiepora. This madrepora, or coraline limestone,
is of the most beautiful kind, and is constantly form
ing under the lee of the reef. It is easily dug up from

DISTRIBUTION OF TRACTS, &C. 173
the sand, and furnishes, when burnt, a lime of peculiar
whiteness, though not of the usual strength. It is
generally used for whitewashing, and consequently the
material receives the name pedra de cat de cayar,
while the hard limestone, of which there is some on
the island, is called pedra de cal de parede. The
few attentions which I was called to give to the works
and wonders of nature, while in Itamaraca, seemed
to excite universal marvelling among the people.
After a sojourn of two days on the island, I made
my arrangements for embarking at an early hour
the next morning. This seemed to be generally known
among the neighbors, and quite a number of persons,
in addition to the family, gathered around to witness
my every movement. I had reserved this occasion for
making the distribution of my principal presents and
tokens of friendship. I had brought with me a quan
tity of tracts and Scriptures. Experience, however,
had taught me that an indiscriminate distribution was
not the best method of putting them into circulation.
My method, therefore, was to bestow what I had to
give, as a recompense for favors I had received, or as
an obligation to secure something that I requested, at
the same time explaining the great advantages to be
derived from a proper use of the gifts bestowed. Thus
I naturally presented a Testament to the heads of each
of the families to which I had been introduced; a third
to the widow as a source of consolation in her bereave
ment, and of wisdom and piety for her children ; and a
fourth to a neighbor who had allowed me to select a
quantity of specimens from a heap of madrepora
which belonged to him. These books, I had reason
to think, would be inquired after, and loaned to others,
p2

174 HABITS OF THE ISLANDERS.
and perhaps eventually might make the entire circuit
of the island. As to the tracts, of course each of the
children, who had assisted me in any way, must have
a set. These they would carry to school to read ; and
as more were likely to be in demand when others
should see them, I constituted my host, Senhor Mar
tinho, a depositary, with instructions to reward faith
fully all who should assist in collecting a box of shells
to be sent me at Pernambuco. It is hardly necessary
to add, that I received many expressions of admira
tion and thankfulness while making such distribution
and arrangements, and that the box of shells was
promptly forwarded.
Many remarks might be made respecting this inte
resting island. I shall only add a few on the state of
society. The great majority of the inhabitants are
watermen, and employed more or less upon the fish
eries. They seem to abandon themselves very much
to the luck of their profession, and to have very little
idea of regular and persevering industry. What little
labor the men perform on shore is generally done
mornings and evenings. After the sun's rays begin
to be felt seriously, they may be seen gathering into
groups for conversation, or stretching themselves out
in the shade of their trees and houses for repose. The
females seem to be more regularly employed, and most
of them add to the very simple routine of their domes
tic duties an almost uninterrupted knitting of thread
lace. A number of the men own little plots of ground
occupied by their hut and a few cocoa-nut trees; others
rent their tenements of a reserved proprietor, at two
milreis per month. A considerable portion of the dis
trict of Pilar thus pays revenue to Nossa Senhora,

PLEASANT RECOLLECTIONS. 175
having been left as a legacy for the benefit of her
church. I have mentioned that there are other churches
and chapels upon the island. The vigario, the only
padre on the island, resides in the villa at the southern
extremity. He divides his duties among the different
mass-houses, as their peculiar saint's days and festi
vals may require. At the villa and at Pilar there are
government primary schools, to which a respectable
number of children go to learn reading, writing, gram
mar and arithmetic.
There is an unaffected simplicity in the manners
and habits of the people of Itamaraca, and the recol
lections of my brief sojourn among them will long be
cherished with unmingled satisfaction.

176 VOYAGE UPON A JANGADA.

CHAPTER X.
Embarcation upon a Jangada.— Manner of Navigation.— The Coast.—
Tambaiu.— Colloquy with a school-boy.— Walk to Parahiba.— Feast
of the Patron Saint.— Fire-works.— The City.— State of Society in the
Sertoens. — Distribution of Scriptures. — Franciscan Convent. — Mira
cle.— A Friar.— Monasticism.— A Clerical Epicure.— Utility of
War. — Province of Parahiba.
A VOYAGE at sea upon a jangada is not an incident
of every day's occurrence, at least with North Ameri
cans. Nor is it easy to convey in words a perfect idea
of the simple and singular structure by which the sa
vages of Brazil were accustomed to traverse the waters
of their coast hundreds of years ago. Although in
constant use since the period of discovery, the jangada
has preserved its aboriginal form and style of construc
tion, and even in this age of improvement is not likely
to undergo any change for the better. Properly speak
ing, it is merely a raft, composed of unhewn logs of a
peculiarly light wood, called pau de jangada. Trunks
of trees are selected, about six inches in diameter, as
nearly straight and uniform as possible. These are
stripped of bark, sharpened at each end so as to cut
the water, and then fastened to each other by three
rows of transverse pins. The number of logs used is
generally six, although I have seen them composed of
three, four, seven, and even twenty logs. These latter
are used as lighters for unloading vessels, and are
nearly square in form, while the sailing jangada is
rectangular, and generally about five feet in width by
sixteen or twenty in length.

PREPARATION. 177
When about to embark from Itamaraca, I found it
as necessary to secure a good jangada, as it would be
in New York to select a choice berth for a passage to
Liverpool. The Paquete do Norte was recommended
to me as one of the finest craft owned on the island.
When I negotiated for its use, it stood high and dry
upon the beach before the house of its proprietor,
ready for examination. It was of good size, and ap
peared to have seen no little service. It was cum
bered with no appurtenances in the way of masts, sails,
or rigging. There stood the form of bleached logs,
having no fixtures upon them save a socket for the
mast, and a seat for the steersman. Two straight
sticks, about five feet high, stood in the exterior log on
either side, within reach of the steersman's seat, de
signed for the suspension of his water gourd and bag
of provisions.
On its being chartered expressly for a passenger,
the proprietor proceeded to fit it out in extra style, by
putting a girau upon it. This term girau is entirely
technical, being used to designate what in English it
would be difficult to name, unless it were called a sus
pension cabin. Its construction was in this wise : Two
strong poles were lashed one to each of the stancheons
or sticks just mentioned, at the height of eighteen
inches, and. thence slanted forward till they rested upon
the logs near the mast. Across these were fastened
boards, making a floor. Over head sticks were bent
to support a cover, not dissimilar in appearance to that
of a traveling wagon ; thus a space was left for the
passenger about three feet in height by four in width.
A thick rush mat was then spread on the bottom for a
bed, and another over the top as an awning, to which,
Vol. II.— 23

178

THE JANGADA.

in case of rain, an oilcloth could be added, so that all
might be kept dry. Thus rigged, my paquete was
ready for sea. The only additions needed for pur
poses of navigation were — first, a setting-pole, to push
off from shore ; second, a slender mast, and a three-
cornered sail to catch the breeze ; and third, a long,
broad oar, to serve as a rudder. Its crew consisted of
two men, the prociro and patrdo, or the bowsman and
steersman.

J AKCAD A.

According to previous arrangement, I Was aroused
between three and four A. M. to proceed on my voyage.
Notwithstanding my request that the family would not
allow themselves to be disturbed, nearly all of them,
and some of their neighbors beside, arose to bid me a
final good bye. We set sail by moonlight, with a tole
rable breeze from the land. On entering my state-

THE COAST. 179
room I spread out my cloak as an addition to the bed,
arranged my valice as a bolster, and my inflated air-
belt as a pillow, and thought of continuing my slum
bers. Such, however, was the fragrant coolness of the
morning, and the charming lustre of moonlight upon
the waters, that I issued forth to contemplate the scene
around me. Our course did not lead outside the reef,
consequently the surface was smooth, and the water
shoal. The island was soon left in the distance, and
we passed successively the Barra, Ponta das Pedras.
Barra de Goyanna, Guagiru, Pitimbu, &c. &c.
We came off Guagiru just as the sun rose, and were
delighted with its neat and cheerful appearance. Every
village upon the coast is adorned by its grove of co-
queiros. These useful trees do not grow spontaneously.
They require to be planted and watered with care for
a considerable time. Hence, whenever a cluster of
them appears, either to the voyager on the coast or to
the traveler in the interior, it is taken as designating
the habitations of men. I was pleased with observing
such clusters at frequent intervals along the beach, in
the sands of which they flourish more than in richer
soil. The village just referred to, might have con
tained two hundred inhabitants. It had a good pro
portion of houses, with tiled roofs, and a respectable
chapel. In front of it were several jangadas employed
in fishing. We often passed so close in as to observe
distinctly the shore and whatever might be upon it.
The whole length of coast traversed in the course of
the day, seemed to be divided at about equal intervals
between sandy beaches sloping gradually inward, and
perpendicular bluffs of red marly soil, crowned with
shrubs quite to their verge. The height of these bluffs

180 SAFETY OF THE JANGADA.
above the water, varied between twenty and sixty feet,
the sections exhibiting beautifully arranged strata of
different colored earths. Along this coast several sea-
fights had occurred during the early wars.
My navigators on this voyage were very civil and
quiet. They were both freemen and citizens of Ita
maraca. They seemed to understand their business,
and to be willing to do it. I thought them very ven
turesome occasionally, as they would run their jangada
directly over the long pointed stakes of the curraes de
peixe, which often stood bare as the waves receded be
fore us. But they so managed, as in every instance
to mount the swell and ride safely over them. The
liability to get afoul of these stakes is one of the great
est dangers of this navigation, especially in the night.
They often stand a long way out from shore, and might
not be seen until they had impaled a jangada, or split
it in pieces. Through the care of a kind Providence,
we suffered no injury from them or any other cause. I
frequently reflected during the passage, that we were
not exposed to a catalogue of accidents which are very
formidable to vessels of greater dimensions. Our raft
would not easily capsize or go to the bottom ; and as
to springing aleak, there was the same chance for the
water to run out as to run in. The danger, however,
of falling off or being washed overboard was not so
small. And since we could look directly through the
bottom of our buoyant bark into the depths beneath,
w,e could not say that that there was even a plank be
tween us and death. During most of the day I kept
possession of my cabin, and as it was open at either
end, I found that I could observe the scene as well
from within as when on deck. The weather, which is

COLLOQUY WITH A SCHOOL-BOY. 181
always the subject of first importance at sea, was fine,
and I spent my time agreeably.
About four o'clock we doubled Cape Blanco, and
had Tambaiu, the place of our destination, about one
league directly ahead. By landing at this place, which
is only six miles from Parahiba, we saved thirty or
forty miles' difficult navigation around Point Cabedello,
and thence up the windings of the Parahiba river. We
were soon on shore, and my inquiries were in the first
instance for a horse, having been assured that twenty
horses might be procured there with all ease. It ap
peared, however, that but one was owned in the place,
and neither he nor his proprietor was at hand. Upon
this intelligence my plans were very soon settled, and
while requisition was made for a person to take up my
portmanteau and bundles, I seated myself upon a log
to eat my dinner, which fortunately had been provided
before sailing and brought along. A lad, fourteen or
sixteen years of age, from some motive of benevolence
or curiosity, seated himself near by, and a conversation
ensued in something like the following terms.
"Have you any school in this vicinity?"
"Yes, one."
"Where is it?"
"In the palace."
"How many attend it?"
"Don't know; about three benches full."
"Do you go at present?"
"No, I finished last year."
"Do you know how to write?"
" No, nor to read either."
"What then did you learn at school?"
"Nada!" — "Nothing at all!"
0.

182 WALK TO PARAHIBA.
I had no reason to doubt the last affirmation, al
though I was pained to witness such stupid indifference
to the means of education which the government has,
by a liberal but somewhat erroneous policy, provided
for its subjects, both high and low. This genius after
wards informed me, that on leaving school he had
turned his attention to fishing. He was the youngest
of several brothers, of attainments equal to his own.
Not one of the family could read, although, judging
from the house they occupied on the beach, they must
have been in as good circumstances as their neighbors.
I finally gave him one or two tracts, in hope they
would induce him to inquire into the mysteries of writ
ten language, or at least, that some of his friends
might be benefited by them.
My companheiros de viagem having determined to
walk up to the city in my company, they proposed to
carry my baggage, and divide between themselves the
price offered. This suited me, and we started off. I
had worn my tall Paulista boots on board the jangada,
to protect myself from an occasional wave, and I now
proved their value on shore ; for although we were on
a royal road (estrada real) we were obliged to wade
streams repeatedly.
On leaving the sandy regions of the beach this road
became very pleasant, although it was a mere path
winding through an almost continuous forest. After
the day's confinement within the narrow compass of
my girau, walking was agreeable. The six miles soon
disappeared behind us, and we began entering the sub
urbs of the city before we were really aware of it. On
inquiring for an English gentlemen to whom I had a
letter, I was directed to his sitio, near where I entered

183
the town, and finding him at home, was once more
welcomed to the hospitalities, I like to have said, of a
fellow countryman, for such truly do Englishmen ap
pear and prove to us when abroad. The sitio of Mr.
R., which at Bahia would be called a roga, and at Rio
de Janeiro a chacara, occupies the finest locality in
Parahiba. It is situated on the brow of the hill, within
the bounds of the upper town, and commands a view
of the ocean on the north, the cape and Fort Cabe-
dello, the mouth and course of the river, up to the
shipping before the lower town, including at the same
moment a boundless and diversified landscape. The
view from this place often reminded me of the far-
stretching plains lying west of the Genesee river, as
seen particularly from West Avon. Mr. R. was giving
especial attention to the cultivation of his grounds, and
planting many coffee trees, which, although they grow
and produce luxuriantly, are but rarely found in any
of the northern provinces. It is a singular circum
stance, that coffee is retailed at a higher price in Per
nambuco than in the United States. Orange trees
suffer very much from the depredations of the ants,
being sometimes stripped of their entire foliage in a
single night. When a tree has thus been visited three
successive times, it does not survive. My friend also
had many of these invaluable fruit trees, while his
place furnished a vegetable garden, fine springs of
water, a yard of cows, and other valuable appendages
of rural life, so that he might be truly said to have rus
in urbe, "a farm in the city." The house was large
and airy, with brick floors, latticed windows, and no
ceiling above, save in the parlor.
Here it was that I very thankfully composed myself

184 RELIGIOUS VIEWS AND PRACTICES.
to a quiet rest on Saturday evening. Sunday I was
invited to ride, but preferred the retirement and read
ing more appropriate to the day. A gentleman dined
with us, who, as well as Mr. R., informed me that a
number of Bibles, being part of grants sent out from
England to Pernambuco, had been some years since
distributed in the province. The former had conversed
with various individuals possessing them. He said
they did not seem to attach the idea of sacredness to
the book, perhaps from the fact that it bears no evi
dent connection with the religion which they have been
taught. They had referred him to some parts as beau
tiful, and to others as subject to criticism. The last
mentioned places were generally in the Old Testa
ment. He thought the reason why no decidedly good effect
was apparent, was much owing to the course of their
religious teachers in substituting the commandments
of men for the living oracles. I was informed that the
present was the greatest season of religious feasting
which occurs at Parahiba during the whole year, the
5th of August being the day of Nossa Senhora das Neves,
the protectress of the town. I inquired who Nossa
Senhora das Neves was, but no one could tell me any
thing more than that she was Nossa Senhora, the same
with Nossa Senhora da Conceic,ao, Nossa Senhora do
Rozario, and a score of other names for the Virgin
Mary! I doubt whether the mythology of Greece or
Rome ever became more absurdly confused.
This anniversary, like all other great feast days,
was preceded by a novena, a service of nine masses
performed on as many successive days. Each of these
nine evenings had its peculiar entertainment, being

DESECRATION OF THE SABBATH. 185
allotted to some body of citizens or tradesmen, each
of which would, of course, be anxious to rival the other
in the pomp and parade of their several performances.
I was induced to walk out in the evening to witness
what was thought could not fail to be deeply interest
ing. The Matriz church, at which the fete was held,
was situated near by. It stood at one end of an oblong
area. Its front was illuminated by candles hung in
broken lanterns around the door, and burning before
an image in a niche attached to the cupola. Large
fires were blazing in different parts of the area.
Around them were groups of blacks, eager to fire off
volleys of rockets at appropriate parts of the service
that was going on within the church. After the no-
vena was finished, all the people sallied out into the
campo to witness the fire-works. These commenced
about nine o'clock, and continued, I was told, till after
midnight. What I saw of them was exceedingly ill-
contrived, and bunglingly executed; nevertheless all
seemed to pass off to the admiration of the crowd, and
certainly with its thundering applause.
Had this been a scene of professed diversion for a
company of rude and ignorant Africans, it would have
been more sufferable. But professing to be part of a
religious service, (honra a, Nossa Senhora Padroeira,)
performed on God's holy day, and joined in with en
thusiasm by priests, monks, and people, I confess it
shocked my feelings in the extreme, and I wished
myself almost any where rather than witnessing it.
One of the most painful impressions of the scene
arose from seeing whole families, including mothers
and their daughters, out in the damp night air to gaze
upon spectacles not only partaking of the most low and
Vol. II.— 24 4 2

186 A RIDE IN THE COUNTRY.
vulgar species of the ludicrous, but having a decidedly
immoral tendency — and all this under the name of
religion ! I was glad to retire as early as those who
accompanied me would consent to go, resolving never
again voluntarily to witness such profanations of the
Sabbath. The next day I had the pleasure of a ride on horse
back, accompanied by my host, Mr. R. We passed
through the principal streets of the upper town, in
which are the convents, the prison, misericordia, trea
sury, palace of the governor, and several churches.
Thence we passed out on the road leading towards
Pernambuco, about three miles, to a large cruzeiro,
called cruz das almas, cross of souls. Here we turned
to the right, and descended to the low grounds on the
bank of the river, which we followed back to the lower
town. The river is very winding, and is not naviga
ble beyond the present anchorage. Canoes go up a
long distance, although in the summer season the bed
of the river becomes dry beyond twenty leagues. Its
prevailing course is north-west, and the town is situ
ated upon the southern bank. One of the finest
buildings it contains is a new trapiche, or government
warehouse. In front of it three English vessels were
anchored, loading with cotton and Brazil-wood. They
were the only vessels in port.
Extending up from the river are two streets, con
taining the principal buildings and commercial estab
lishments of the lower town. This part of the city
seemed to be improving. Several buildings were in
process of erection, rents were high, and real estate
had recently been on the rise. The number of in
habitants was, however, less than in the upper town.

DEPRAVED STATE OF MORALS. 187
The elevajion of the latter may be two hundred feet,
the declivity separating them being rather abrupt.
One of the most beautiful locations in the place is
occupied by the military arsenal, a large yellow build
ing, in the midst of a level area between the two towns,
and fronting the principal street connecting them. The
public edifices of the upper town, before enumerated,
do not differ materially from the style usual in the
Brazilian cities, unless I should mention the treasury,
which exhibits a considerable effort at ornament on a
flight of steps by which it is entered. The prison bore
a date indicating it to be of more than a century's
standing. The streets are wide, and paved with a
species of argillaceous clay slate. The stones were
much worn. Some of the old gelousias, supported by
projecting cornices of thick carved stone, are seen at
Parahiba, and the general aspect of the town is quite
ancient. I met with a gentleman just returned from a jour
ney of ten or twelve days' ride into the interior. He
described the state of morals and civilization in the
sertoens of this province, and of Rio Grande do Norte,
as shocking in the extreme. It was, moreover, in his
view daily deteriorating. In those wild and thinly
populated regions, where the traveler ferrets out his
lonely path through the forests for leagues upon leagues
without seeing a habitation, it would be natural to
suppose that among the few existing inhabitants there
would prevail great fraternal love and harmony, espe
cially in view of their all being bound together in the
unity of the one church, at whose shrines they are all
baptized and all confess. Yet, unhappily, intrigue,
discord and murder, seem to be the order of the day.

188 DISTRIBUTION OF SCRIPTURES.
Revenge arrogates to itself the administration of jus
tice, and crime of the deepest dye tramples upon law,
and sets its execution at defiance. The most trifling
affront is followed by murder, and any man's life may
be sold to hireling assassins for a pitiful sum.
A list of recent and common-place occurrences was
related in corroboration of his views. One person was
dunned by another for " a charge of powder" he had
borrowed, and becoming angry, threatened to shoot
his creditor, which threat he executed as the latter
turned to escape. Another committed murder to avoid
paying a debt of sixteen milreis. A third, in open
daylight, in the midst of a village, and in front of a
church, stabbed to the heart a real or supposed enemy.
His victim was the father of a family, and at the mo
ment was leading a little son by the hand whom the
fiendish murderer also thrust through, saying, " Rather
than live to revenge the death of your father you shall
die also." The only punishment this individual had
received, was several retaliatory wounds from some
one with the intent to kill, and supposed, at the time,
to be fatal, but from which he is said to be recovering.
Having had several applications for tracts and Tes
taments, I made arrangements for the distribution of
all I had, principally by means of persons who wished
to present them to their friends, some of whom lived
a long way in the interior. One gentleman, a doctor,
from Camaratuba, a place in the interior opposite
Bahia de Trahisdo, seeing a Testament which I had
presented Mr. R., insisted on having the opportunity
of purchasing it. He said he had seen the Bible, from
time to time, but had never been able to read it as he
wished. He thought highly of the tracts also, and

FRANCISCAN CONVENT. 189
believed them much needed in a country like this,
where religion was so generally trodden under foot.
One day after dinner I took a walk with a young
Brazilian student to the Franciscan convent, the most
interesting and costly public building of the place.
It is fronted by a paved yard, with high walls on either
side, on which, as on both the exterior and interior
walls of many similar edifices, appear various figures
and representations on porcelain or glazed ^earthen
tiles. At the extreme end of this yard stands an im
mense cruzeiro of stone, upon a well-proportioned
pedestal of the same material. Within, the edifice is
spacious and well built. It consists, as usual, of a large
chapel, and rows of cells extending around a square
court-yard, with a broad piazza upon both the upper
and lower floors, besides more or less rooms for the
ordinary purposes of such an establishment. The
walls were hung with various pictures, mostly rude
and falling into decay. Several of them had the very
necessary, though not common, appendage of an ex
planation of their design.
As a general thing, the configurations with which
these monasteries are filled, from the vaulted ceiling
of their chapel downwards, are more unintelligible
than hieroglyphics. One can decipher cowled monks,
mitred bishops, apparitions of angels, and the like.
But when he asks for further explanation, he is told
that the subject of the representation is the miracles
and wonderful deeds of the patron saint and his fol
lowers. I observed that even here, where the Fran
ciscans have never been followed by their "beloved
brethren" the Dominicans, nevertheless they do not
forget them. In one large picture, a Dominican was

190 VISIT TO A FRIAR.
represented as confounded before a Franciscan, who,
in attestation of his arguments to prove the perpetual
virginity of the virgin Mary, smote his cane upon the
ground, and straightway there sprang up three flowers
in miraculous corroboration of his doctrines !
I was presented by my friend to an acquaintance of
his, a friar of some literary pretensions, who was stu
dying English, in order to qualify himself to obtain the
professorship of that language in the Lyceum of the
place. The said friar introduced us to his cubiculo or
cell. It was a snug little room, containing a bed,
table, bookcase, and a few chairs. We here had a
friendly conversation. The monk had never heard
of such an institution as -the Bible Society! I con
gratulated him that, through the medium of the Eng
lish language, he might easily acquaint himself with
the efforts of not only that, but of many other enter
prises of equally worthy objects. He apprehended,
however, that the Bible and tracts which I recom
mended, were the same with those that the bishop of
Pernambuco disliked, and by means of which Padre
 had become a Protestant. I learned that from
some cause or other this friar neither ate with his
brethren, nor slept within the walls of the convent, but
lived with his father near by. There were six friars
belonging to the establishment. It was large enough
to accommodate two hundred.
As I walked through its lonely halls, there came
over me a mournful sense of that delusion, by which
countless sums of money have been thrown away upon
convents in every town of this unexplored and unim
proved country. A religious end they never answered ;
they are standing monuments of an extravagant and

FRIARS — THE PRISON. 191
mistaken zeal. The government has shown its dis
cretion by appropriating them to purposes of business
and utility wherever it has had occasion; and if, at
the end of another century, many of them are other
than heaps of ruins, it will be owing to the policy of
the state. This province, following the example
of some others, has given each convent the privilege
of matriculating nine novices — hitherto, I was happy
to learn, without effect. "Ninguem quer ser frade" —
"Nobody wishes to be a friar," is the common remark.
Although a life of ease and virtual opulence would
thereby be secured, yet such was the public and pri
vate dislike of monasticism; that, as yet, no one was
willing to share its inglorious spoils.
The monastery of San Bento is smaller and more
ancient, with only a single tenant, the abbot. This or
der here, as in almost every place where it is establish
ed, possesses engenhos with slaves and large landed
property in the vicinity. The Carmo convent was with
out an inhabitant, save some troops quartered in it.
The prior had recently deceased. He was described
as a notorious bon vivant, answering fully the idea of a
"jolly fat friar." He had given a dinner which had
passed off with some glee, and said he would have a
second part or supplement to it shortly after. Ac
cordingly, he sallied out the next day to purchase the
requisite wines. But, before his return, he was at
tacked with a rush of blood upon the brain, which soon
carried him off.
As I one day passed by the prison it appeared to
be full, both above and below ; and, to judge from the
loud talking and laughing within, it might have been
taken for a place of amusement.

192 ASSASSINATION.
The recent wars are said to have benefited the
country at least in one respect. Numbers of indolent
and vicious persons have been drafted into the service,
and society thereby rid of a plague. The occasion of
the late fire-works was improved for pressing soldiers.
Notwithstanding all, however, there is evidence that
quite too many villains are at large. But a few weeks
before, a man suddenly disappeared out of a public
street, where he had been seen at two o'clock P. M., on
his way to dine, and was not heard of again till, four
days afterward, his body was found by accident in the
river. He had probably been decoyed into a house
where assassins were waiting for him, as he was
found to have been stabbed, and then conveyed to the
water some three-fourths of a mile distant. This was
an event calculated to horrify every person who heard
of it, and to carry consternation through the town;
nevertheless, nothing effectual had been done to ap
prehend and punish the offenders. At first, consider
able noise had been made by certain officers of the
police, who, it was thought, thereby received some
threats or other reasons for being easily satisfied. So
the matter rested, with the imprisonment of some sus
pected persons, who were soon released without any
trial. The soil of Parahiba is in several respects similar
to that of San Paulo; also, the situation of the town
upon the bank of a stream. Here, however, several
kinds of stone appear which I had not before met with
in the country. In addition to the clay-slate mentioned
as used in paving the streets, there is limestone of a
greenish color. It is hard, and used for building, like
the granite in Rio. It is broken into fine pieces and

SUGAR ESTATES. 193
then laid in mortar, forming a very durable wall.
Cotton and sugar are the principal exports of this
province. The sugar estates do not extend far to
wards the interior, on account of the expense of con
ducting their products to market. What sugar is
made from beyond the circuit of from fifteen to twenty
leagues is consumed in the form of rapadura, as the
unclarified article is denominated. It is generally cast
into small cakes. These cakes resemble those of ma
ple sugar, which are occasionally sold as a rarity in
the towns of the United States. They are much es
teemed in the sertoens, where they are taken in the
mouth before drinking water, to relieve its brackish
taste. I was sorry to be informed that both the manu
facture and consumption of caxaca seemed to be on
the increase. It was sold in a great proportion of the
houses in the suburbs of towns, and also upon the
highway, wherever I traveled. I saw in several in
stances the sertanejos or mulattoes quite intoxicated.
At such times their company is by no means inviting,
carrying, as they always do, a pointed knife.
The chief peculiarity which I observed at the table
in these regions was a fondness for peppers, which,
even in Brazil, might be considered extreme. In ad
dition to being bountifully served up in every dish, a
pure decoction of this vegetable, in the form of gravy,
containing sufficient fire to consume an unpractised
palate, was deemed an essential dressing.
Farinha de mandioca was much used, with a prepa
ration of oil, pepper and vinegar, called farrofa.
A great many persons of Indian descent are seen in
Parahiba, although it is often difficult to distinguish
them from the Portuguese on the one hand and the
Vol. II.— 25 R

194

SERPENTS.

negroes on the other, with both of which races they are
amalgamated in every possible degree.
In the vicinity of Parahiba there are serpents of an
immense size, called cobras de Veado, from the fact
that they swallow deer, and sometimes, it is said, even
cattle. Venomous serpents are also common: one
species is said to have two heads, and is blind. Blind
ness and subsequent death follow the bite of this
reptile.

A GUIDE PROCURED. 195

CHAPTER XI.
Return Journey to Pernambuco. — Guide Pacifico. — Set out by Night.
— Friends by the way. — The Champagne. — Goyanna. — Quarters for
the Night. — Journey resumed. — Sertanejos. — Cotton Carriers. —
Cattle Fair. — PasmodO. — Sun-dial. — Iguarassii. — Rio Grandenses do
Norte. — The Mails. — Bad Roads. — Night in Olinda. — Early Ride. —
Half an hour too late.
In the course of a few days it became necessary for
me to think of returning to Pernambuco. As I in
tended to return by the land route, horses and a guide
were necessarily to be secured. A certain mulatto,
named Pacifico, was recommended to me as the best
portador or guide to be obtained. Some friends ac
cordingly rode with me to the place where he lived,
and which he styled his sitio. It was several miles
distant from the city, in a most desolate looking spot.
The house was a mere ruin, of one of the smallest and
poorest kind of hovels. At this place the wife and five
children of Pacifico were found ; the Senhor was ab
sent. His better half, however, pledged him and two
good horses to be on hand for my journey early on a
given morning. The morning came, but no Pacifico
made his appearance; accordingly, Mr. R. rode with
me to look him up. He was found this time in his
sitio. He made many apologies for the misunder
standing, promising to bring me a good horse early
the next morning, and come properly mounted him
self. I may here remark that many of the horses
in those parts are truly superior both in size and con-

196 SET OUT BY NIGHT.
dition. The saddle-horses, almost universally, have a
carrega or ambling pace.
The next morning I was called about three o'clock,
Senhor Pacifico having appeared according to promise.
Before starting, I took leave of my hospitable friend,
who to the last moment was attentive to every thing
that could promote my convenience or comfort. He
had also furnished me with letters to families on the
road, and given every requisite instruction for the
journey. I was disposed to examine the horse brought for my
use, but as there was no moon, the starlight was insuf-
ficent. Notwithstanding some presentiments that the
real character of the animal would fall somewhat short
of the numberless eulogiums which were heaped upon
him, I mounted, and we were soon upon the road. All
was silence in the town, except at the prison, where
guards were pacing in front, and loud voices of min
gled merriment and blasphemy were heard within.
On entering the first piece of woods, we passed two
men armed with swords and guns, of whom I had no
very favorable impressions, although they were talk
ing cheerfully, and did not molest us. Pacifico after
wards told me that they were hunters, on their way
to secure game, (bicho do matto.) By and by the sky
began to redden, and daylight soon appeared. I now
had an opportunity of observing our condition and ap
pearance. I found myself to be astride of a genuine
Rosinante, whose beauties and whose virtues would
not have suffered in comparison with those of the ori
ginal steed of the knight of La Mancha. At the same
time, the horse of my man Pacifico was a worthy
companion. Although possessed of but one eye, he

MORNING RIDE. 197
threaded the mazes of our winding way to admiration.
To have seen him, one would scarcely have believed
that he could stand alone; yet he bore up gaily under
his rider, mounted on the top of a huge cangaia or
pack-saddle, within the precints of which were lodged
my cloak and portmanteau. Presently a circumstance
occurred that gave me new ideas of the powers of my
animal, accompanied with great thankfulness that it
had not taken place sooner. Without any apparent
cause, he suddenly commenced kicking "high in air."
Not knowing how to interpret this demonstration, I
urged him forward, thinking he would have need of
all the strength he possessed before the journey was
completed. But the same movements were repeated,
and by and by, he laid himself down in the road. It
was then found that the saddle was pressing upon
parts of his back that had been severely galled some
time before. To remedy this injury, Pacifico transferred
a mat from his cangaia, which fortunately answered the
purpose, and we passed on without farther interrup
tions of that sort.
Several showers occurred during the morning ; and
between bridgeless rivers and wet bushes, through
which we were constantly passing, my feet became
very wet, notwithstanding my high boots. At the dis
tance of four leagues, we passed through an Indian
village called Jacoque. It had a church, school, and
some ninety or one hundred houses, built in the ordi
nary style of mud and thatch. At nine o'clock we
arrived at Terra Cavada, the name of a sitio, to the
owner of which I carried a letter. The senhor was
not at home, but as it was raining, I did not scruple to
accept the kindness of his good lady, who ordered a
r2

198 ENTERTAINMENT BY THE WAY.
hammock to be suspended for my use while the horses
could eat and rest. The situation was beautiful, and
the whole vicinity seemed to be a plantation of bana-
neiras. The house was among the most indifferent
objects in sight. The mud floor of the sola could
scarcely have been more uneven ; the walls were not
whitewashed, and it was at the same time small, and
in great confusion from the manner in which persons
and things were crowded together in it.
Senhora was at the time negotiating with a pedler;
not a Yankee pedler, but a Brazilian, whose " fit out"
might perhaps give even a Yankee some new ideas.
He carried his stock of goods on horseback. They
were stowed away in two large trunks made of raw
hide, but so adjusted in weight as to balance each other
on opposite sides of the horse, where they kept com
pany with the legs of the owner. I did not stop long
to theorize upon this or any other subject, when once
my rede was swinging, but having put my feet into a
pair of dry stockings, I sought the balance of my night's
rest. At eleven o'clock I was ready to resume my
journey; but just at that moment I received an inti
mation from Pacifico that breakfast was preparing,
and that we must consequently wait. The repast was
straightway served and well relished.
On taking leave I made presents of tracts to the
Senhora, who declared herself to be highly delighted
with them. At twelve o'clock we were again on our
way. The rain had ceased, the bushes had become
dry, and all nature had put on a more cheering as
pect. The face of the country was undulating, some
times presenting a hill-side covered with denden
palms, or an opening sprinkled with mangabeira trees ;

JOURNEY RESUMED. 199
and anon, a dense impenetrable forest of varied fo
liage. It was on this part of the rout that Pacifico,
whose feelings seemed to enliven with the scene, re
lated to me his history and pretensions. He said he
had married when very young, and now had five
children; that he owned considerable property, not
only in horses, but in a rented house in the city ; and
that his present style of living was a mere matter
of policy to avoid the suspicion of wealth, and conse
quent robbery. He asserted, moreover, that he was
a guide of especial confidence and enterprise, always
starting promptly, and getting through before the time
appointed. I was prepared to appreciate a part of
these representations from what his friends had told me
of him, viz : that he never appeared in town except in
the night, to avoid being apprehended for debt, or
pressed for a soldier. Of the rest, I was enabled to
judge in the sequel.
I frequently saw large ant-houses, both upon the
sides and in the tops of trees. In form they resembled
wasps' nests, although they were much larger, and
made of earth. I took occasion to examine one which
appeared to be several years old. It was now tenant
less, but full of winding cavities, with thin partitions
between them. It had once been inhabited by the
copim or white ant. I saw in none of these regions the
tall and tent-like ant-hills that abound in the serra
acima of San Paulo. In the course of the afternoon I
observed a flock of large parrots, and some other birds
of gay plumage ; also, a monkey passing over the road
just before me, upon the connected branches of trees.
The latter was of the small black species, called here
sduy, and at a little distance resembled a black or gray

200 GOYANNA.
squirrel. This last mentioned animal, so common in
North America, I have never seen or heard of in the
woods of Brazil.
About two o'clock we passed another Indian village,
called Alhandra. It might have had a thousand inha
bitants, but they were by no means exclusively Indians.
The place appeared, in all respects, like the common
povoacoes and villas of the country. A little beyond
this was Curupusuru, an engenho, to the owner of
which I bore a letter. I saw his son, drank a cup of
cold water at the door, presented a few tracts, and
pushed on, instead of stopping all night, as it had been
partially planned that I should. About five o'clock p. M.
I arrived in sight of Goyanna, a town ancient and
celebrated in history. It presents a lovely aspect when
seen from a distance, but of that kind which gives a
very false idea of the reality. All the Brazilian towns
have two peculiarities which add to their external ap
pearance — first, the buildings have a uniform color,
white; second, every eminence or prominent point
within them is adorned With a temple of antique
structure. Goyanna is a Cabega de Comarca, or shire town. It
is four leagues from the sea-coast, fourteen from Para
hiba, and fifteen from Recife, situated between two
small rivers. In it resides a judge of civil, and an
other of criminal law, who preside at the sessions;
also, a prefect of the police. It has a Latin school,
two primary schools, a recolhimento, hospital da mise
ricordia, convent of Reformed Carmelites, and five
churches. Near the river the mud was very deep, and in pass
ing the stream I was fortunate not to fill my boots

SITUATION AT A PUBLIC HOUSE. 201
with water. On entering the town it proved to be
miserable and dirty. Almost the only building which
did not appear to have a downward tendency, was a
new prison going up. Pacifico conducted me to the
best, and perhaps the only establishment in the place
in which we could be accommodated for the night,
(arranchado.) I think that in respect to filth and dis
order, it exceeded all the places in which I had hither
to put up.
My first movement on alighting was to walk through
the length and breadth of the town, to satisfy the eye
as much as possible with seeing, and hoping . that
upon my return the public house would be in better
order. All changes, however, seemed to be for the
worse. My quarto, which appeared to be the best
room the house afforded, had become the receptacle
for four or five saddles and cangaias — an old hen
was gathering a brood of chickens under her wings in
one corner ; the solitary and glassless window opposite
was set with heads and shoulders peering out into the
street; while such a troop of urchins, ragged and naked,
black and white, as were careering through the apart
ment, small enough at best, I will not attempt to
describe. I took a chair and seated myself in the
street, for good and obvious reasons, until Pacifico
was ready to cater for my supper. I then returned to
assert my rights. Suffice it to say, that I got the room
tolerably free from intruders, and was spreading out
my eatables upon the window-sill as a substitute for a
table, when, behold, the master of the house came in,
whom I had not before seen or heard of. I cannot say
whether motives of interest or self-consequence predo
minated, but certain it was that he produced a revolu-
Vol. II.— 26

202 the landlord's politeness.
tion in the order of things very speedily, scolding every
moment at the top of his voice, that a gentleman should
be treated in so neglectful and barbarous a manner.
My supper was at once transferred to another room,
where there was a table permanently fastened, its legs
being driven into the ground. Water was brought, for
washing, with a towel, having an immense ornamental
border. Presently I found myself seated to my soli
tary meal, with no fewer persons than the Senhor,
Senhora, three children, and an occasional straggler
gathered around to witness my operations. The
Senhor even assisted to skin my roasted cameroens,
(shrimps,) protesting at the same time that they were
miserable, and that I might have much better if I
would only wait to have them caught and cooked. I
could but smile at the good grace with which all this
officiousness was enacted, and on the whole thought it
preferable to the sullen, freezing indifference, some
times met with. It gave me, moreover, an opportu
nity to speak in turn, and to introduce such conversa
tion as I chose. I found that the oldest child went to
school, and that the others would soon go. They
accordingly became the nominal recipients of some
folhetos, which I heard their father reading aloud till
late at night — having become, as he informed me in
the morning, very much interested in them.
Before proceeding farther with the events of the
evening, I must mention that in the course of the
day we had come up with three horses belonging to
Pacifico, which he said he had sent forward the day
before, on their way to the Recife for cargo. They
were accompanied by a matuto,* called Joaozinho,
* A term derived from komem do matto, signifying a backwoodsman.

203
and Pacifico's oldest son, whom the father had described
to me as well instructed in reading and writing, but
who declared to me himself that he knew nothing
about one or the other, having never been to school
in his life. I looked in vain among the animals thus
overtaken to find a better than that I rode ; however,
the parties became united, and when I came to " turn
in" to my hammock, I found that all three were to be
companions of my bed-chamber, stretched out upon
benches within reach of me. My first impression was
to remonstrate, but a kinder and probably wiser sen
timent prevailed, in compliance with which I did not
so much as question their right to any privileges they
might get in connection with mine.
I had been led to anticipate much annoyance on the
way from carapatos, small insects, which, once coming in
contact with the skin, adhere to it, and bury themselves
in it, causing a most excruciating pain. They are much
more abundant in the hot than in the rainy season, and
as yet had hardly become common. I met with none of
them, although Joaozinho declared they had diverted
themselves upon his yellow skin at a great rate. In
the morning I was anxious to start as early as the light
would permit us to cross the river. We reached the
stream about six- o'clock. Here Pacifico suddenly
informed me that he was sick, and could go no further,
but that he would send the matuto in his place, who
was a person of nearly equal ability and confidence
with himself. I did not readily consent to this arrange
ment, but told him we would talk about it on the other
side of the river. We crossed in a canoe, swimming
the horses. Finding that he persisted in stopping, I
determined to waste no time in parleying, and pushed

204

SERTANEJOS CARRYING COTTON.

on, accompanied by the matuto. The road lay through
a forest for several leagues, being wider than before.
The air was fresh and balmy, and numberless birds
of plumage and of song enlivened the scene. The soil
was sandy, the surface level, and considerable hewn
timber was scattered along the road. After proceed
ing two or three leagues, houses became more fre
quent, almost all of them exhibiting a bottle or jug at
the window, as a sign that ardent spirits could be
bought within. I saw frequent flocks of parrots and
paroquets. The natural cry of the former resembles
that of the common hawk. The day was beautiful. I
overtook, and for some time accompanied, a troop of

SERTANEJOS CARRYING COTTON.

BRAZILIAN PLANTATION. 205
sertanejos,* whose horses were loaded with bags of
farinha de mandioca and bales of cotton. I was not a
little amused with their manner of mounting. When,
on account of a high load, they are unable to spring
on at one leap, they take hold of the horse's tail, place
their foot upon the gambrel joint, and walk up over the
hips of the animal. Their horses are trained to stand
perfectly still during the process. The cut represents
the style in which nearly all the produce from the inte
rior of the provinces of Parahiba and Pernambuco is
carried to market. About noon we came to an en
genho denominated Caga Fogo, which appeared more
as every Brazilian plantation might and ought to ap
pear, than any other I saw in the country. The' house
was low but large, and neatly whitewashed, with green
doors and window-blinds. It was located in th£ midst
of an extended and fertile valley, surrounded with the
proper out-houses, flanked on the one side by a splen
did field of sugar-cane, and on the other by green pas
tures, extending to the brow of the neighboring hills,
and sprinkled with grazing herds. Near by was a fine
pond, furnishing water power for the sugar-mill and
similar purposes, while its dam answered as a bridge
to the' stream, having a waste-weir for the surplus
water. The village of Pasmodo, formerly a freguezia, but
now only a provocao, was next in order. It seemed
to be the time of a festa. The church, and the square
in front, were dressed out with flags and such like
ornaments, several of which I observed to be ladies'
* The term Sertanejo signifies an inhabitant of the Sertao. It is
considered more dignified than matuto, and is applied to proprietors
in the interior. s

206 WEEKLY FAIRS.
shawls or large handkerchiefs, tied *o poles set in the
ground. This place is remarkable for the manufac
ture and sale of great numbers of the knives (facas
de ponta) which it is the passion of this people to
carry, in a silver-mounted sheath, by their side, and
their vice to use too often for desperate purposes. I
saw great numbers of them exposed in the windows
for sale, and very often in ominous conjunction with
the rum bottle.
We at length paused at Itabatinga, near to Igua-
rassu, where my guide left his horse, preferring to carry
the cloak and portmanteau himself rather than to
attempt getting the jaded animal any farther. I tried
in vain to procure an exchange for mine. In front of
the house where we stopped was a cattle fair, which
had collected a number of spectators. It seemed to
be a branch of the weekly fair that is held at Pedras
de Fogo, a place seven leagues beyond Goyanna. At
that place vast numbers of people collect every Wed
nesday and Thursday for the general sale, purchase,
and interchange of commodities furnished and needed
by the sertoens. As a means of judging of the con
course of people who assembled there, I was told that
sixty or seventy oxen are frequently slaughtered on
the spot for their sustenance. I was about leaving
Itabatinga without perceiving any opening for doing
good, when I observed a rudely-constructed sun-dial
placed before the door of a house, and an old gentle
man with silver locks watching the progress of the
shadow. On approaching, to compare the rate of my
watch with that of the sun, which of course must be
correct, I found the former to be considerably too fast.
However, the old gentleman and myself became imme-

CHURLISH RECEPTION. 207
diate friends. He had recently retired from the Recife
to spend the remainder of his days in quiet. Being
fond of reading, he was very happy to receive the
tokens of esteem which I presented him. Some
other persons, who had gathered round during our
conversation, seemed also glad to have a supply of
tracts. Iguarassu is located upon an elevation, at the foot
of which flows a small river of the same name, crossed
by an ancient but very good stone bridge. It is a
league and a half from the sea coast, and six leagues
from Pernambuco. It is at present a villa, has a pri
mary school, a convent of Antoninos, recolhimento,
misericordia, prison, town-house, mother church, and
four hermidas, or filial churches. It has the air of
antiquity, and is on the decline, having but little busi
ness. I observed one temple with its roof fallen in.
The only communication I had with any one in the
place, occurred as I ascended the hill and entered
the principal square of the town. In front of one of
the churches there was a man with a red capa over
his shoulders, seated beside two images, and sur
rounded by more or less persons gazing at them. He
saluted me, as I passed by, in a gruff, uncouth tone,
" Ho! palricio da ca esmolas para os santos!" — " Hallo,
countryman, hand over your alms for the saints !" I
thanked the lazy fellow for his politeness, and pursued
my way.
Soon after passing Iguarassu, I overtook a troop of
a dozen horsemen ; several blacks were riding forward,
and their masters in the rear. In front of all was a
drove of cattle, which I supposed to belong to the party,
but which it appeared did not, being soon left behind.

208 CONVERSATION ON THE ROAD.
At first none seemed sociable, and I spurred on my
charger, aware that I had a long road before me, as I
intended to go to the Recife before sleeping. I ascer
tained, in passing by, that the cavalcade was from
Assii, in the province of Rio Grande do Norte, eighty
leagues distant, and on its way to Pernambuco to pur
chase goods. Presently I was overtaken in turn, and
conversation commenced in earnest. The man to
whom I had spoken, in passing them had communi
cated to the rest the fact of my being a North Ameri
can, which I had given him in exchange for some
information respecting the troop. The greatest curi
osity was at once aroused, and now manifested on every
point, respecting me and my country. I found Senhor
Joao Gomez, the captain, to be a very intelligent and
apparently worthy man, accompanied by his son and
two compadres, which latter persons, if not equally well
informed, were certainly not less desirous to become
so. Their questions were diversified and often very
amusing, upon every topic relating to the arts, customs,
politics, and religion of the country from which I came,
and I doubt not that the information I communicated
sounded very strange to them. When conversing upon
religious subjects, although an occasional assent would
be given to what I said as just or important, yet,
having been taught that all were Christians who had
been baptized, they seemed to think it a small matter
whether a man were a good or bad Christian. The
former character secured him a place in heaven, while
the latter circumstance, being accidental, could only
send him to purgatory. The captain said that Bibles
were occasionally met with in his vicinity, and that he
had one in his family.

ARRIVAL AT OLINDA. 209
During the several hours we rode in company, the
moral condition, and the civil relations and prospects,
both of Brazil and the United States, were thoroughly
discussed. We had, in the meantime, been traveling
over the table lands, where engenhos and habitations
of different kinds were somewhat frequent amid a suc
cession of clayey hills. At length the Rio Grandenses
stopped for the night, and I had yet three leagues be
tween me and the Recife. Notwithstanding a ride of
nearly fifty miles since morning, .my Rosinante still
kept upon his legs. This was nearly all I could say
in the beginning; but it was now evident, that notwith
standing his appearance, his capacities for a long run
were second to those of but few horses in the country.
Just before dark I passed the correio de governo, or
government mail, which was a species of leathern
trunk, strapped on the back of an Indian on foot. This
is the usual method of conveying the mails in these
regions ; and in addition to that of the government,
there is a weekly post of the same description between
Pernambuco and Parahiba, supported by the merchants.
It had now become dark, and our last league before
reaching Olinda, was over a wretched piece of road.
At one point of it I was reminded of my proximity to
my journey's end, by catching a delightful glimpse of
the Recife, with its lamps just lit up for the evening.
Many troops of horses were met on the way heavily
loaded for the interior. Coming at length to some
narrow passes where I could see nothing that was
before me, I waited for my guide who had lingered
behind. He at length came up in company with the
correio. We soon arrived in Olinda, and proceeded
to an establishment at which my man Joaozinho was
Vol. II.— 27 s 2

210 DEPARTURE OF THE STEAM-PACKET.
accustomed to stop, and where I designed to leave my
horse and Walk the remaining distance into Pernam
buco. My attendant, however, protested that he was
too tired to proceed another step, and begged me, pelo
amor de Deos, to stop for the night. I yielded, out of
pure compassion for him, on his promising to start at
half past four the next morning. To my astonishment,
when that hour came, I found him disposed to delay
still longer. It now appeared that he had a plan on
foot for extorting extra pay. He was soon disabused
of his expectation of succeeding in that, and we finally
were in motion by half-past five. My great anxiety
had been to reach Pernambuco before the arrival of
another steam-packet from the south, which I had
every expectation of doing. Judge then of my painful
surprise on perceiving, the moment I reached the high
beach between the two cities, a steamboat in the act
of firing up to leave the harbor. I hurried on as fast
as my horse could carry me, but owing to the depth
of sand, it was an exceedingly slow road : before reach
ing the end of it, I had opportunity for all sorts of
conjectures. Probabilities seemed to favor the idea
of her being bound south rather than north. In the
former case, I wished to send letters — in the latter, to
embark myself. In either, how easily I might have
succeeded by going through according to my intention
the night before ! But even now I should succeed if
the boat did not leave before the usual hour, eight
o'clock. I hurried to the sea-shore, and dismounted
amidst a crowd of eager spectators, just as the boat
was passing by the light-house upon the reef. By
inquiry, I found that she was the Pernambucana, bound
to Para. She had been sent nearlv a week before her

DISAPPOINTMENT. 211
time, in order to carry government dispatches and an
armament to Maranham, to assist in quelling the re
bellion. Owing to her haste, she had sailed at half
past six, instead of waiting till the usual hour. As it
was now impossible for me to go on, and as another
steam-packet could not be expected under a month,
the keenness of my disappointment can only be ima
gined. How perplexing, to think of the repeated de
lays that had occurred, notwithstanding all my plans
and efforts. After all, it was being only half an hour
too late that was to cause thirty days' detention !
A little reflection, however, brought to my mind a
variety of considerations, not only why, as in a world
of disappointments, I should rejoice in this as one of the
least that could have happened, but also, why I should
regard my detention as entirely Providential. This I
have now many reasons for believing it to have been.

212 TEMPERANCE AMONG SEAMEN.

CHAPTER XII.
Temperance among Seamen. — Embarkation in the Maranhense. —
Province of Rio Grande do Norte.— Natal.— Cape St. Roque.—
Island of Fernando de Noronha. — Entrance to Ceara. — Landing in
the Surf— Paviola.— Survey of the City.— Style of Building.— Society.
Ride to Villa Velha. — Sandy Plains. — Engenho de Rapadiira. — The
Campos. I have recorded, in preceding chapters, the more
important observations made during my farther sojourn
in Pernambuco. One circumstance, however, deserves
mention here. A few days after my return from Para
hiba the steamer St. Sebastian came into port, on her
return voyage from the north. Just before I took
leave of this vessel, on my arrival in that port, a depu
tation from the forecastle, upon the inmates of which
1 had bestowed frequent attentions, had waited on me,
requesting that I would draw up for them a temperance
pledge adapted to their circumstances. These circum
stances I knew to be very unfavorable, as rations of
spirit were daily served out to the crew, and many of
them were already confirmed in their attachment to
the ruinous fluid. I, nevertheless, prepared the requi
site paper, and put it in the hands of those who de
sired it, adding such cautions and encouragements as
seemed proper. I had been troubled with some mis
givings respecting the result; but now, that occasion
offered, I hastened on board to ascertain what it might
be. To my agreeable surprise, I learned that thirteen
seamen and firemen had signed the pledge, and strictly
observed it, notwithstanding all their temptations.

STEAMER MARANHENSE. 213
The first officer of the vessel, who professed to be a
temperate man, and who had refused to sign the
pledge as unnecessary, had alone been discharged, and
left behind on account of drunkenness. The captain's
wine bottles had proved too great a temptation for
him, and his consequent disgrace demonstrated the in
efficiency of any protection against strong drink, except
total abstinence.
In due time the Maranhense steamer arrived from
Rio, and I embarked in her for the northern ports.
Five o'clock p. M. was the hour of sailing. It was
punctually observed, notwithstanding a squall of wind
and rain made it . somewhat hazardous crossing the
bar. Again at sea, I spent a comfortable night on my
camarota, passing over the same course which I had
previously navigated on board the canoe and jangada.
In the morning we were opposite Cape Blanco, in sight
of land, and soon passed the mouth of the Parahiba
river. During the course of the day, leaving the province
of Parahiba behind, we passed along the coast of Rio
Grande do Norte. This province derives its appellation
from a stream, on which its capital is built, and which
was called by the natives Potengi. It lies between
Parahiba and Ceara. Its coast exhibits no highlands.
It appears uniformly sandy on the beach, but is covered
with low matto towards the interior. Tne face of the
country, back from the ocean, is uneven. Its forests
are said to produce better Brazil-wood than any other
part of the empire, and also many precious drugs. Its
climate is generally healthful. The soil, with the ex
ception of a few places, is by no means fertile, on ac
count of the superabundance of sand. Nevertheless,

21 4 NATAL.
it produces cotton, sugar-cane, rice, and some other
valuable commodities; and is, in some sections, de
voted successfully to the rearing of cattle.
Natal, the capital, is located on the right bank of the
river, near its mouth. It is an ancient city, although
still small. It was a position of great importance
during the Dutch wars, and its fortress, by which the
city is still defended, was then pronounced the strongest
in all the country. The port cannot be considered a
good one, although it admits vessels of one hundred
and fifty tons burden. The foreign commerce of the
province is very inconsiderable, and there is at present
no prospect of its speedy improvement. The state of
society does not differ materially from that in the
neighboring provinces. Within the boundaries of this
province is cape St. Roque, distinguished as forming
the angle of the north-eastern coast of South America,
and known to every navigator who has crossed "the
line ;" at least, in calculating his chances of falling to
leeward. A large rock, resembling a hogshead in
form, marks the extremity of this cape, and withstands
the continual dashing of the waves. When we had
passed this point, our course became W. N. W., and
continued thus through the night.
In this connection, it will be proper to notice the
island of Fernando de Noronha, which lies about
seventy leagues N. E. from cape St. Roque, in south
latitude 3° 56'. This island has been successively
under the dominion of Portugal, Holland, France, and
Brazil. It is about twenty miles in circumference.
Many little islets are divided from the principal island,
and from each other by narrow channels. They are
all rocky and barren, although frequented by vast

CAPE ST. ROQUE. 215
numbers of sea-fowl, and affording a favorable locality
for fishing. The island has two harbors, but neither
of them is safe during a storm. Its appearance from
a distance at sea, which I had an opportunity of ob
serving during my outward voyage to Brazil, has been,
with some propriety, likened to an immense church.
The principal mountain-peak serves as a steeple, and,
as such, is sometimes called Campanario. Nothing,
however, is more dissimilar to the moral condition of
this island, than the idea of a church. It has for ages
been occupied solely as a place of exile and imprison
ment. Seven forts were erected upon it by the Portu-
guese, in the days of their wealth and power. A small
garrison is always stationed at Fernando, for the pur
pose of keeping in subjection the malefactors confined
upon that rocky and sea-girt prison. No woman is
allowed to visit the island, and most of the provisions
used upon it are carried from Pernambuco.
On the second morning, after doubling cape St.
Roque, we began to look out for the port of Ceara, to
which we were next bound. The weather was thick
and squally, and at the same time the land was very
low, so that we had some difficulty in finding our har
bor. We did not enter it until noon. Even in fine
weather this port is somewhat difficult to make, not so
much from its wanting landmarks, as from the diffi
culty of seeing them. There is generally a thick haze
hanging over the land, and more especially during the
period of the strong winds, which, as the coast is low,
prevents its being seen at any considerable distance;
while long, low banks of cloud, are continually present
ing the appearance of a shore. This occurs when the
weather is perfectly clear overhead.

216 ENTRANCE TO CEARA.
The position of Ceara is in 3° 42' 58" S. latitude, and
38° 34' W. longitude. Its landmarks are the slight
promontory of Micoripe on the south, and the moun
tain-peaks of Mararanguape, which lie to the north,
some distance inland from the city. These were the
first and only high mountains I saw on the coast north
of Bahia. They mark the termination of the great
serra do Mar, which I described in connection with my
visit to S. Paulo, and which stretches through at least
twenty degrees of latitude, sometimes bordering di
rectly upon the ocean, at others standing far inland.
Ceara is frequently denominated Fortaleza, after an
ancient fortress built upon the shore to defend the har
bor. Scarcely any thing of the city can be seen from
the sea, besides this fort and a few huts by which it is
flanked on either side. At the left of the town is the
mouth of a small stream, whose banks are adorned
with coqueiros, the greatest ornament in the scenery
of these regions.
The bay of Ceara opens to the north, and presents
to the eye a regular and beautiful curve, sweeping in
ward like a semicircle. The harbor is formed by an
invisible reef of rocks, analogous to that of Pernam
buco. It was never very good, and is now deteriora
ting through the constant influx of sand. At the time
of our arrival, a few coasting-smacks and an English
brig were all the vessels in port. The landing is no
where good, on account of the heavy surf that continu
ally breaks upon the strand. Adapted to this, the
pilot-boat in which I went on shore, was guarded by
strong outriggers to prevent capsizing, but even then
did not willingly come in contact with the shore. After
conveying passengers from the ship to a fordable depth

PAVI0LA.

217

near the water's edge, it waited for them to be taken
on shore in a paviola. This is a species of chair, fast
ened upon cross-bars, to be conveyed on the shoulders
of four men.

PAVIOLA.

The bearers of this singular vehicle, need to be of
equal height, and they are generally very tall and ath
letic. As I saw a party of them marching steadily
into the surf to bear me off, in the instance of my first
going ashore, it appeared very evident that they were
not afraid of the water. Occasionally a surge dashed
over their heads, and hid them a moment from sight.
During this assault they paused, and as the wave
passed beyond or receded from them they again moved
along. At length two of them laid hands upon the
boat to steady it, and I stepped into the paviola, and
Vol. II.— 28 T

218 SURVEY OF THE CITY.
seated myself high above their heads. Notwithstanding
all this elevation, I did not escape without a sprinkling
of the "salt sea-foam." But, on the whole, I thought
myself fortunate not to be washed off into the surf.
Once set down on the beach, I pursued my way lei
surely towards the town, and the wind and sun dried
my garments.
One of my first duties was to call upon a prominent
merchant of the place, to whom I presented letters.
This gentleman welcomed me with great hospitality to
his house, and entertained me with a detail of many
particulars, respecting the city and province of Ceara.
Towards evening he furnished me with a horse, through
whose good service I had before night explored the
greater portion of the city and its precincts. The first
thing to be said of Ceara is, that it is literally a city built
upon the sand. From the beach to the remotest suburb
all is sand, sand. If a person walks, the deep sand
wearies his limbs ; if the sun shines, the heated sand
parches his feet ; and, if the wind blows, the flying sand
fills his eyes. Sand fills the streets and composes the
side-walks, except that, here and there, it may be
covered with a broken flagging of stone or brick.
Walking, riding, and driving, seem to be equally im
peded by the sand ; and, for the locomotion of a single
cart, it is not rare that ten oxen are employed. Never
theless, the plan of the city is good; the streets are
wide, and its squares ample.
When Lord Cochrane took possession of the place
in 1824, he attempted to beautify it by planting rows
of trees at the sides of the streets. The people, moved
by their dislike to the man, or by some other infatua
tion, afterward destroyed the trees, tearing them up

NO MONASTIC EDIFICES. 219
by the roots, thus ruining an improvement which would,
in its maturity, have proved a signal benefit to them
and their posterity. For the last few years the town
has been improving. Several buildings were going up
at the time of my visit. The most permanent build
ing material in use is a large coarse species of brick,
but a majority of the dwellings are casas terreas, built
of mud and sticks, in a style that allows of their being
put up and furnished in the course of a day or two.
This style seems to suit the genius and habits of the
people better than that which costs more labor, al
though it be more permanent.
The public buildings are neither large nor distin
guished by any peculiarity from those already describ
ed in connection with other places. The city, how
ever, does not contain a convent, nor any edifice
devoted to monastic purposes. This remark may also
be made of the entire province, a circumstance that is
believed to be unparalleled in Brazil. The only com
plete church in Ceara belongs to Nossa Senhora do
Rozario, the especial protectress of the negroes. That
of the Conception, frequented by whites, was a few
years since torn down, in order to be rebuilt on a
grander scale ; but the work stopped when the walls
were about half erected, and still appeared likely to
remain in that position for some time to come.
On returning from my ride to spend the night with
my newly acquired friend, I found myself most agree
ably situated in his interesting family. The two
eldest children were absent, receiving their education
in Portugal. For the younger, an English governess
was employed in the house. The supper table was
furnished with wine. On my asking leave to decline

220 VILLA VELHA.
its use, I had the pleasure of learning that I was asso
ciated with Senhora G., the lady of the house, who
was also member of a temperance society. This cir
cumstance was a cause of mutual congratulation, since
it was a rare thing for a guest to refuse wine, and
equally so. to meet a Brazilian lady who gloried in a
pledge of total abstinence. As guests in this family,
were also an elderly Portuguese gentleman and his
wife, a young English woman. The former had once
been wealthy, but had thrown away his property in
scheming — a branch of business upon which he was
still profoundly intent, projecting various improve
ments for the country, and writing pamphlets to demon
strate their utility. Either through his own misfortune,
or through some special obliquity in the understand
ing of every body else, scarcely any of his plans
hitherto had even been the subject of experiment, so
visionary and groundless did they seem to the public.
On my return from the north, I found that this ex
cellent family was absent from the city, having retired
a few weeks previously, to spend the season of the
sugar harvest (assafra) upon a plantation two and a
half leagues distant. Senhor G. was at his counting-
room, and as profuse in his kind attentions as when I
visited him before. He invited me to ride out in his
company, and spend the night with his family at the
fazenda of Villa Velha. A proposition so agreeable
in itself was not likely to be declined. We were ac
companied by an intelligent gentleman from Aracaty,
a principal port and town of the province, situated
thirty leagues to the south-east, on the river Jaguaribe,
twenty-four miles from its mouth. Our course lay
along the sea-beach westward about two leagues, and

SANDY DESERTS. 221
thence turned inland to the spot on which, as its pre
sent appellation indicates, the town of Ceara was first
located. This place is on the bank of the Ceara river,
which furnished some advantages for a port, that the
present harbor does not. It lacks, however, any pro
minent point of land to protect and distinguish it ; and
it is believed that in view of all things the change was
well advised.
There still remains an atterado, or turnpike, con
structed by the Dutch during the period of their con
quest. This is the only monument of former times
that remains to distinguish the locality as ever having
been occupied by man. During this ride, I had a spe
cimen of the sandy deserts, which, on a small scale,
are to be found in certain portions of this and the
neighboring provinces. Nothing that I saw elsewhere
so much resembled the drifted snows of the northern
hemisphere. The winds have here exhibited the play
fulness of their fancy, as completely as they ever do
among the lighter and more perishable materials of
the cold winter storm. Cones, pyramids, and trun
cated mounds of various sizes, had been erected by
them, with sometimes a long level intervening, only
marked by waving lines like a slightly ruffled sea.
As we approached the river, the soil appeared more
fertile, and was covered with vegetation, both wild and
cultivated. The house at Villa Velha was quite indif
ferent, and the owner intended soon to supply its place
with a new one. The principal establishment con
nected with it is called an engenho de rapadura. Sugar
in such establishments is manufactured only in its
crude state, and is cast into small cakes for domestic
consumption. We arrived by moonlight, and found
t2

222 THE CAMPOS.
the family awaiting us. The evening was passed in
animated conversation ; the revolution in Maranham,
from which place I had just come, forming the princi
pal topic. At the time for rest, I retired to a ham
mock, swung up in a large shed built to cover the
cauldrons in which the guarapa was boiled. Sleep
proved sweet and refreshing. The next morning, after
an early breakfast, we returned to the city by a more
direct road through the campos. The soil here was
occasionally covered with patches of trees, in the man
ner of the oak-openings of the United States. Some
of them bore valuable fruits. We passed a place
which was once evidently the site of a lake, now dried
up. At this locality I found an immense quantity of
interesting land-shells.

CEARA. 223

CHAPTER XIII.
Province of Ceara. — Cattle. — Carnauba Palms. — Inhabitants. — In
dians. — Food. — Floods and Drought. — Statistics. — Low state of
Finance. — Proposed Province of Cayriri Novo. — Party Strife — Exe
cution of Criminals. — Sabbath at Sea. — Company. — Province of
Piauhy. The province of Ceara is very large, and in many
respects important. But for the vicissitudes of climate
to which it is subject, it would be one of the most
productive regions of the empire. The sandy downs
which give the coast so desolate an appearance, do not
prevail throughout the interior. Even they are not
wanting in fertility, when properly irrigated ; how much
more valuable, then, must be the genial soil of the up
lands of the interior? Cotton, dyewoods, and hides,
form the principal exports at present. The cattle of
Ceara are celebrated for their noble form, and their
patient endurance of the yoke under circumstances
which it would be impossible for the animals of a
colder climate to support. Not less is their flesh es
teemed, herds of them being often driven to supply the
distant markets of Pernambuco and Bahia. Although
the preparation of jerked beef is not so common here
as in Rio Grande do Sul, yet it is carried on to a con
siderable extent, the article being known as carne do
sertao, instead of carne secca.
There prevails in this province a great abundance
of the carnauba palm, (coriphera cerifera.) These
trees are not less valuable than the cocoa palms of
Itamaraca, which they even rival in beauty. They

224 INDIANS.
furnish food, houses, and raiment. Besides an edible
fruit, their palmito, the tender extremity of their flower
stem, is large and deemed delicious when prepared for
the table. Their trunks are remarkably regular and
strong, serving either for fuel or the construction of
dwellings. To form an exterior wall, they are driven
into the earth in rows, and the interstices filled with
mud. Being split open in the middle, they are used
as rafters to sustain tiled roofs. The outer envelop
of the flower-bud. is a thin bark, woven by nature, and
sometimes used for garments. The splendid leaves
and branches of the tree form a handsome and durable
thatch ; arid I was told that the fibres of its root sub
serve, in some cases, important medicinal purposes.
The great natural advantages of this country must
be noted among the existing causes of its low state of
improvement. The stern voice of necessity, "work or
die," never disturbs the day dreams of the Brazilian,
as he yawns in his hammock during the bright hours
of sunshine. The great mass of the lower classes live
as they list. Their wants are few and simple, and to
a great degree conformed to*the spontaneous produc
tions of nature. Multitudes of Indians inhabit Ceara,
in a state of semi-barbarism. As a general rule, they
are idle and vicious, living chiefly upon indigenous
fruits, or those which are cultivated with scarcely any
trouble — but seeking occasional plunder.
At a former period they were under an excellent
system of police, and could be hired in any number to
work on the plantations of cultivators. This regimen
has long since disappeared, and the wretched beings
are now of no service to themselves or to any one else.
Although their degradation and pitiable state are re-

food. 225
ferred to in every president's report, yet from year to
year no proper efforts are made for their instruction or
improvement. Slaves at the same time are compara
tively scarce in the province. This is a circumstance
lamented by the people generally as a great calamity;
but it is easy to believe that indolence enough prevails
there already. It would be excessive cruelty to enslave
others, so that more of it might be indulged. As an
illustration of this idea, I will mention the fact, that
the melancia or watermelon, which grows to a large
size in all parts of Brazil, is produced here in unwonted
profusion. During their season these melons are not
only eaten as a dessert, but as a principal article of
food, especially by the Indians and mixed races. So
abundant are they, as to be sold frequently at the rate
of twenty cents per hundred. Thus, for a single penny,
could be purchased as much as a man would consume
in a week.
Thousands of these people, in the interior, have never
seen the article of bread. An anecdote was related to
me of a matuto from the far sertao, who, on visiting
Aracaty, resolved to gratify his curiosity respecting
what he had so often heard of as a great foreign lux
ury. He accordingly went to a baker's shop and pur
chased a hat full of rolls, and then seated himself under
a tree and commenced paring them, as he would
oranges or bananas. The taste, however, did not
please his palate, and he soon threw them away as
unfit to be eaten, exclaiming, doubtless, "nao presta
para nada."
It is difficult to say which is the greater scourge of
these regions, the freshets or the droughts. The former
result from long-continued rains in the early part of the
Vol. II.— 29

226 FLOODS AND DROUGHT.
season, which destroy cotton in the blossom, and affect
very unfavorably other branches of agriculture, at the
same time causing the streams to swell, overleap their
boundaries, and ravage the changeable surface of the
soil. During the droughts, years have been known
to pass by without rain. At such times vegetation
perishes, and both animals and human beings die off
without number. It was painful to listen to the de
scriptions given of these seccas, and the famine conse
quent upon them. I was prepared to understand them
by the details previously given me of a similar scene,
which a gentleman, with whom I met in Pernambuco,
had witnessed a few years previously in Rio Grande
do Norte. Absolute starvation prevailed in the country,
and the only hope of the inhabitants was in finding
their Way to parts of the coast to which supplies had
been brought from abroad. Hundreds died upon the
way, and their emaciated corpses were scattered upon
the sand, often without interment, but so emaciated
and withered as scarcely to taint the air, or offer a
banquet to the worm. Some who had strength to ar
rive, and money with which to purchase food, survived.
Others arrived too late, and being so exhausted and
enfeebled, that the morsel which they craved to sustain
life only served to hasten their dissolution.
The province of Ceara. is estimated to contain one
hundred and eighty thousand inhabitants. In the year
1841 there were in operation within its boundaries
thirty-one primary schools, frequented by eight hun
dred and thirty pupils ; and seven Latin schools, with
forty-six pupils. The number of soldiers embraced in
the different sections of the national guards, the militia
of the country, was about eleven thousand. The House

PROPOSED PROVINCE. 227
of Correction belonging to the province, was occupied
by eighteen delinquents. Its prisons were few, and
generally insufficient to prevent the escape of criminals.
The following is the official list of crimes committed
during the year, between July 1840 and July 1841 : —
Murders, 72 ; attempt to murder, 15 ; threat, 1 ; seri
ous wounds, 20; light wounds, 24; physical injuries, 4;
robbery, 10; theft, 17; rape, 3; calumny and injury, 8;
use of prohibited arms, 2; prevarication, 1; disobe
dience, 15; defalcation, 2; abuse of authority, 1; sedi
tion, 1 — total, 196.
The religious establishment was manifestly deterio
rating. " This unquestionable fact," says president
Coelho, " is not only chargeable upon a clergy, (with
some honorable exceptions,) ignorant, depraved in
habits, corrupt in morals, involved in the concerns of
the world, and totally forgetful of their heavenly mis
sion ; but is also due to the indifference with which the
legislature treats the wants of the church."
Not long since a proposition was made to the Na
tional Assembly to erect a new inland province, to be
composed of portions of the present provinces of Ceara,
Pernambuco, Parahiba, and Piauhy. The projected
province was to be called Cayriri Novo, and to have
for its capital the villa of Crato. It would embrace
the most fertile portions of the several provinces of
which it was to be composed, but would lack a single
navigable river or port of entry. A general desire for
improvement seems to prevail in Ceara, and various
important enterprises have been projected; but the
depressed state of finances, both in the provincial and
municipal treasury, has, for a series of years, proved an
insurmountable obstacle to their completion. The

228 EXECUTION.
reflector, and other apparatus of a light-house, which is
very much needed on point Micoripe, had been im
ported from England, and lain in the custom-house four
years for want of funds to put it in operation. Lamps
and fixtures for lighting the streets of the town had
been provided — but up to the present, there was a lack
of funds to supply them with oil. There was not a
single cemetery or grave-yard for the use of the city.
All the interments were made, from year to year, in
the solitary church of the town, which was thus ren
dered, as the president expresses it, "the very focus of
putrefaction and pestilence."
Unhappily, the animosities of political strife have
greatly agitated and injured the province of Ceara.
Although open violence has seldom broken out, yet the
unceasing rivalry and contentions of parties have re
peatedly threatened it.
In going to the praya, previous to my final embarca
tion from the city of Fortaleza, I passed through a
large square near the fort, where, a few days before,
six criminals had been executed. They were all Af
ricans, and perhaps all slaves, who, serving as seamen
on board a brig bound from Maranham to Pernam
buco, had mutinied and murdered the captain, part of
the crew, and some of the passengers. After commit
ting this crime, they scuttled the vessel and sank her
near the shore, a short distance to windward of Ceara.
Their object was probably to gain both plunder and
freedom ; but on going ashore, they were soon appre
hended by the authorities of the province, tried, and
summarily condemned. The manner of execution was
by hanging. The drop is not in use. The scaffold
(forca) is of a triangular form, placed upon three posts

SABBATH AT SEA. 229
set in the ground. It is ascended by a ladder, and
when the rope is adjusted, the culprit is pushed off by
the executioner, who, to expedite the- Work of death,
jumps down upon the shoulders of the victim-, and thus
hastens his suffocation.
On re-embarking to pursue our Voyage to the north,
I sent off, by the Piloto Mdr, a quantity of books and
tracts to the various friends with whom I had become
acquainted. Our course lay north-west, out of sight of
land. The second day out, being Sabbath, the cap
tain expressed a desire that I would conduct religious
exercises for the passengers and crew. Owing, how
ever, to the necessity of coals being constantly handled
for the engine, no suitable opportunity occurred. I
endeavored as niuch as I could to supply the lack of
such service, by visiting the men who Were unemploy
ed, and furnishing them with appropriate reading.
The captain of this packet, also a captain in the Bra
zilian navy, was favorable to any enterprise which
promised to promote the welfare of his crew. He had,
on my first coming on board, expressed a hope that I
would accomplish as great a miracle through my ef
forts in behalf of temperance, as he understood I had
done on board the St. Sebastian.
One of the passengers, a Brazilian naval officer, on
his way to Maranham, read with much attention, and
apparent interest, the publications in Portuguese which
I was able to put in his hands. He also accepted, with
much pleasure, a Testament, and his lady a copy of
the Psalms; which I offered them. This 'lady was
young, beautiful, and accomplished. She had never
before been out from Rio de Janeiro, and now seemed
to be full of apprehension that she might never return.
U

230 COMPANY.
Her husband was equally full of joy at the idea of win
ning laurels in the service of his country; but of what
value would these be to her in case he fell in the con
test. Nor were these prospective evils all she had to
suffer. Her delicate frame had been prostrated by
sea-sickness, repeated attacks of which had won for
her the sympathies of our entire company.
We had also in the cabin, during this voyage, an
other naval officer, of more advanced age and higher
rank than the lieutenant just referred to. He was a
capitao de fragata, and carried a commission appoint
ing him to the superintendence of the marine arsenal
at Para, whither he was bound. TniS individual was
of Portuguese birth, Dutch education, and Brazilian
citizenship. His opportunities had been very consi
derable, and he manifested an extensive acquaintance
with the world. He was very sociable, and I was in
debted to him, during the passage, for frequent occa
sions of animated conversation. He claimed to be
entirely unprejudiced on the subject of religion, but
was, nevertheless, a firm Catholic. Many of his sen
timents, however, even in this view, were by no means
orthodox. He rejected the idea that there is no sal
vation out of the church, and maintained the opinion
that the religion in which any man was born was the
best for him, thus making the vilest Paganism equal
to Christianity. He scouted the idea of the real pre
sence, and thought that the cup was an essential part
of the sacrament; yet he extenuated licentiousness
among the clergy, and had little concern to see any
improvement in the morals and piety of either priest
or people.
The province of Piauhy, to which we were now op-

SINGULAR SALT MINES. 231
posite, has only about sixty miles of coast bordering
on the Atlantic. Towards the south it extends nearly
four hundred miles, and is, at some points, three hun
dred miles in width. The prevailing character of the
surface of Piauhy is level, although it is occasionally
dotted with high and abrupt hills. Its extensive plains
exhibit but few trees; and although rather desolate
during periods of drought, afford, in the rainy seasons,,
delicious pasturage, and sustain immense quantities of
cattle. The soil is adapted to the cultivation of man
dioca, corn, rice, sugar-cane, and cotton. It also
covers some mines of silver, iron, and lead — which,
however, are wrought to no considerable extent.
The climate is of necessity warm, and the country
is, in many places, subject to malignant fevers; Spix
and Martius traversed this province in 1818. One
special object of their visit was to examine a huge
mass of meteoric iron, the fame of which had spread
over the whole country. After enduring great fatigue
and sufferings on their rout, they at length reached
the object of their search. But such was the hardness
of the aerolite that they were unable, during several
days' labor, to detach a single fragment which they
could bear away as a specimen.
They found, on the banks of one of the tributaries
of the San Francisco, some salt mines of" a very sin
gular character. The rock in the neighborhood is a
species of conglomerate, in which quartz, mica, and
new red-sandstone are mingled, associated probably
with gypsum. The salt appears in a light yellowish
earth, mixed with the vegetable mould covering the
rock. When this exterior crust has been completely
wet by the rains, and the sun's rays have exhausted

232 SALT A CIRCULATING MEDIUM.
the humidity, the surface remains covered with small
saline crystals. At this juncture the earth is scraped
with palm-leaves to the deptb of an inch, and thrown
into water. The solution is then exposed to the sun
in large wooden dishes (gamellas),. or upon ox-hides,
elevated severally upon four stakes. When the earthy
sediment has fallen to the bottom, the brine is made
to flow into other vessels, where it becomes crystalized
in a pure state. This manufacture of salt is of vast
importance to a widely extended inland country. Not
less curious than the manner of its manufacture, is the
fact that the article is, to a great extent, the circu
lating medium of the sertao. At certain periods the
people assemble from all directions to procure this
precious commodity, each lump of which is valued at
twenty or thirty reis, one or one and a half cent. It
has been stated, that even the priests, and the civil
officers of these secluded regions, receive their salaries
in the salt currency.
. The principal river of Piauhy is the Parnahiba. It
flows through the province in a northerly direction,
and receives various tributaries on either hand. ^Near
its mouth it divides into six channels, and thus forms
several islands on the border of the ocean.
The province does not contain any seaport of im
portance. Its capital is the city of Oeyras, a town, of.
about five thousand inhabitants, situated nearly three
hundred miles in the interior. The Baron of Parna
hiba, who had been for several years president of
Piauhy, states in one of his recent reports, that " Ele
mentary instruction has been established in the pro
vince to some extent, but that it meets with serious
embarrassment, owing to the absolute lack of teachers,

OFFICIAL STATEMENTS. 233
qualified either in learning or morals, for the task."
I also translate his remarks respecting justice and
ecclesiastical affairs. " The picture which I must pre
sent to the legislature of the administration of justice,
is by no means flattering. The province is divided
into five comarcas. Three of these are under very
good regulations, through the influence of competent
civil officers. In the other two the mockery of justice
is horrible. An absolute anarchy prevails. The au
thorities are at war among themselves ; and although
barbarous and public assassinations take place, yet
their perpetrators go unconvicted and unpunished. If
I am to speak correctly of the state of ecclesiastical
affairs, I must say that they could scarcely be in a
worse condition than they are. . It appears as though
fate, in contravention of our good, does not cease to
harass us."
" The province contains thirteen parishes connected
with the bishopric of Maranham. Six of these only
are supplied with regular vicars, of whom three are
unable to exercise their functions through old age and
infirmity. Great difficulties arise from the necessity
of procuring matrimonial licenses at so great a dis
tance and expense as the journey to Maranham in
volves. Our churches are, in most instances, going
to ruin, and some are absolutely demolished. They
demand repairs, but there are no funds that can be
appropriated for the object. The finances of the pro
vince generally are in a critical state, receiving as
they do little or no augmentation from foreign com
merce." Vol. II.— 30 tj 2

234 ITACOLUMI.

CHAPTER XIV.
Itacolumi.— Entrance to Maranham.— The Town.— The Province.—
Rebellion.— Sack of Caxias.— City of Maranham.— Lyceum.— Tem
perance Press.— Circulation of Scriptures.— Recolhimento.— Disco
very.— Early History.— The French.— Gomez Freire.— Progress of
Society. — Revolution of Independence. — Lord Cochrane. — Abran-
ches. — Movements of the Admiral. — His Cotton Speculation.
On the second morning after leaving Ceara, we
came in sight of land, and soon had in full view before
us the mountain of Itacolumi. This is an aboriginal
name, signifying giant. It has been applied to a
mountain in the province of Minas Geraes, and also,
by mineralogists, to the peculiar rock of which that
mountain is composed. The imaginary figure formed
by the outline of the Gavia, the Corcovado, and the
Sugar-Loaf, as seen off Rio de Janeiro, has been
sometimes called Itacolumi. The eminence which here
receives the name, is of a regularly conical shape. Its
size is not great, although being the only abrupt ele
vation in all the surrounding region, it is easily dis
tinguished from a distance at sea. A light-house has
recently been constructed near the base of this moun
tain, which is the principal landmark for the port of
Maranham, fifty miles distant. The island of Santa
Anna, which we had already passed on our left, may
be regarded as the next in importance. It also has a
light-house. Our course was now towards the south,
with the island of Maranham on our left hand, and the
main land, skirted by red marly bluffs, upon the right.
The width of the entrance gradually diminished as we

MARANHAM. 235
advanced, and the bay appeared spotted with nume
rous small islands.
The village of Alcantara is seen on the main land as
we pass up, and the Fortaleza de S. Marcos is the first
work of art to be observed on the island of Maranham.
Upon its battery is planted the telegraph which com
municates with the fort S. Antonio, situated on the
Ponta das Areas, near the city. At the second fort
we were hailed through a speaking trumpet in the
usual style: "Donde vem?" — "Whence do you come?"
" Quantos dias de viagem?" — "How many days out?"
As no pilot came off? our captain undertook the task
of conducting his vessel through the tortuous and vari
able channel leading to the anchorage, and he accom
plished it handsomely. A Brazilian corvette and two
brigs of war, a French brig of war, and a variety of
merchant vessels, were lying at their moorings in the
stream. We let go our anchor close under an ancient
rampart fronting the government palace, from which
several heavy pieces of artillery seemed to frown
directly upon us, while a splendid Brazilian flag was
floating over them. The landing-place is close along
side the fort, and being constructed of stone, seems to
have suffered but little from the influence of time. A
paved road leads up from the landing to a large un
adorned square, surrounded by the Palace, now the
Cathedral, the Bishop's Palace, and other important
buildings, most of which were departments of the ci-
devant Jesuit's College.
The city of S. Luiz de Maranham is situated in 2°
31' S. latitude, and 44° 16' W. longitude. It occupies
the north-western extremity of the island of the same
name, and is only separated from the continent by a

236 THE PROVINCE.
narrow channel, usually denominated Maranham river.
Its population is estimated at thirty-three thousand,
including a few score of English and French, occupied
in commercial pursuits. The city is divided into two
parishes, and contains thirteen churches and chapels,
three monasteries, one recolhimento of educandas, and
six hospitals, of which the Misericordia is the princi
pal. Its educational establishment consists of a lyceum,
a Latin school, two primary schools for boys, two for
girls, four private schools, and an ecclesiastical semi
nary, located in one of the monasteries. This city
ranks as the. fourth in the empire. It is the capital of
the rich and important province of the same name.
The territory of this province is rather uneven in its
surface, although it has not a single range of moun
tains. It is watered by a large number of rivers, both
great and small. It remains to a great extent covered
with forests, in which valuable woods and precious
drugs are abundant. The soil is peculiarly adapted to
the cultivation of rice, which it produces in vast quan
tities. Cotton thrives much more than the sugar-cane.
The indigenous fruits are numerous and rich. The
pineapples and bananas, of several species, deserve
mention for especial excellence. Mineral riches have
not been withheld from this portion of the globe. Fine
strata of old red-sandstone furnish an excellent and
common material for building; while iron and lead
ores, and antimony, have been discovered, although
they have not yet been turned to public advantage.
Fish abound in the waters of the province ; -and herds
of sheep, cattle, and horses, multiply rapidly on the
plantations of the interior.
The period of my visit to this province was one of

REBELLION. 237
painful interest, on account of a civil war in which
large portions of it had become involved. Rebellion
had broken out under the pretext of dissatisfaction
with a recent law, requiring the offices of Juiz de
direito and Juiz de paz, to be substituted by prefects
and sub-prefects officers, having a more absolute juris
diction. To this had bqen added a rumored intention
of the whites to enslave the whole colored and mixed
population.. A few desperate individuals, having no
higher ends in view than murder, robbery, and plunder,
managed to awaken an incendiary spirit among the
ignorant and vicious, with which the province must
have abounded, and commenced their attacks upon
defenceless individuals and families, at a time when
nothing of the kind was expected. Meeting with but
little opposition, they at length besieged the city of
Caxias, on the river Itapicuru.
This town was second only to the capital, in wealth,
population, and the importance- of its commerce. It
was besieged a month by the Bemtevis, as the insur
gents called themselves, after a common and favorite
bir.d of the country, and its final loss was chiefly owing
to some unfortunate dissensions among its inhabitants.
An indiscriminate pillage followed the capture. What
ever merchandize the ruffians could not use immediate
ly, they devoted to destruction, Two or three hundred
of the principal inhabitants they threw into prison,
murdering others, and suffering but few to escape.
The news of these alarming events had spread con
sternation and terror through the province, and the
inhabitants had fled by hundreds to t^e capital, as the
only place where they could be sure of protection. The
province had been immediately put under military law,

238 CITY OF MARANHAM.
and the city fortified. There were, however, only a
few troops on hand, and there was no certainty that
the rebels, in the tide of their success, might not come
down upon Maranham. Indeed, it is probable that
such would have been the case, and that the city would
have been sacked, but for the fortunate introduction of
steam navigation just at that juncture. Intelligence
had been conveyed along the coast by the steam
packets, which caused troops to be immediately sent to
the aid of the Maranhenses. Dispatches had even
been received from the capital in a shorter time than
would have been required by some sailing vessels to
beat around Cape St. Roque.*
Officers, arms, and munitions of war, had been
promptly sent on from Rio, so that the city was not
only garrisoned, but detachments went into the interior
to attack the rebels in their own resorts. Fortunately,
they were not difficult of conquest, wherever they could
be reached. They had become intoxicated with suc
cess, and the same passions which led them to practise
cruelty and murder upon their peaceful fellow-citizens,
soon led them to destroy one another. Several of the
leaders, who had enriched themselves with plunder,
were assassinated by their own followers, and their
plunder was in turn divided as the price of blood.
Nevertheless, months were required to pacify the pro
vince ; and during both my visits to Maranham, the
city was daily and nightly patroled by soldiers bearing
arms. All hostile approach by water was guarded
* Southey mentions the case of a vessel sent eastward from Maran
ham in 1656, having troops on board for some special emergency,
which, after having been out fifty days, a time long enough to exhaust
her provisions, found it necessary to put back, and in twelve hours
reached the port she had left.

BEAUTY OF THE CITY. 239
against by the forts and batteries in front; and in the
rear of the town a ditch had been dug, and an embank
ment thrown up, along which cannon were ranged, and
picket-guards were stationed to watch against any
attack from the interior of the island.
Maranham is believed to be better built, as a whole,
than any other city of Brazil. It exhibits a general
neatness and an air of enterprise, which rarely appears
in the other towns of the empire. There are, more
over, within its bounds but few huts and indifferent
houses. None of the churches appear unusually large
or sumptuous, but many of the private dwellings are
of a superior order. The style of construction is at
once elegant and durable. The walls are massive,
being composed of stone broken fine and laid in cement.
Although the town does not occupy a large extent of
ground, yet the surface it covers is very unequal. Its
site extends over two hills, and consequently, a valley.
The rise and descent in the streets are in many places
very abrupt. Scarcely any carriages are in use, and
corresponding to this circumstance, there is only one
good carriage road in the entire vicinity. That road
leads a short distance out of town. The cadeira is but
little known here as a means of conveyance. The
rede or hammock, is generally used as a means of easy
locomotion. It is very common, both in Maranham
and Para, to see ladies in this manner takino- their
passeio or promenade. Gentlemen in health, do not
often make a public appearance in this style, although
it is generally conceded that ihey are quite fond of
swinging in their hammocks at home.
The streets of Maranham are laid out with consider
able regularity as it respects their direction. Their

240

A REDE.

width is good, and by the combined agency of wind and
rain, they are kept unusually clean. The pavements
are composed of a conglomerate sandstone, the same
that is used for buildings ; but as they have no grad-
ings, nor even smooth stones for side walks, they are
very tiresome and unpleasant to foot passengers. The
town contains several ornamental squares, some of
which are bordered by shade trees.
One of the most interesting walks within the pre
cincts of the city, is to the Public Cemetery, which has
been arranged within a few years in the immediate
neighborhood of the Misericordia. Its walls all around
are notched for catacumbas, some of which are already
occupied. Curved walks, ornamented with blooming

REMEDIOS. 241
flowers, wind in every direction among rows of promis
cuous graves. Unfortunately, the dimensions of the
cemetery are quite too small for so large a city. The
English also have a cemetery, laid out with some taste,
in which Protestants of various nations have been in
terred. The Quartel dos Militares, or barracks of
Maranham, are said to be the best in the empire.
They occupy an elevated and commanding position,
being constructed in the usual manner, on the four
sides of an enclosed square.
The northern section of the town is thought to be
the most inviting as a place of residence. It is usually
called Remedios, in honor of Nossa Senhora dos Re-
medios Protectora de Commercio e Navigac,ao, to
whom the parish church is dedicated. This neighbor
hood is a place of great resort during the holidays ; and,
at the time of my visit, the church and several adjoin
ing houses were being whitewashed and ornamented,
in anticipation of some approaching festival. A little
beyond the Remedios stands a new prison, built on the
American plan; or, as the Brazilians denominate it,
prisao com trabalho.
During my stay in Maranham, I was favored with
the attentions of an American gentleman, long a resi
dent of the city, who accompanied me in visits to what
ever of interest the city contained; and also, in one
instance, towards the interior of the island. We rode
on horseback, and visited two plantations, one of which
was in a fine state of cultivation. The soil is generally
barren, and but poorly repays the attentions of the
cultivator. In this respect it differs from the neigh
boring continent ; probably, on account of containing a
greater proportion of sand, which, in the hot season,
Vol. II.— 31 V

242 VISIT TO THE LYCEUM.
becomes exceedingly parched and dry. In its natural
state, it is overgrown with a stunted shrubbery.
I was much pleased with my visit to the Lyceum.
This institution holds its sessions, by order of the go
vernment, in the Carmelite convent — a large building,
which was never intended for so good a purpose as it
is thus made to serve. Its professorships are seven in
number, viz.
Latin and Greek, Philosophy,
English and French, Geometry,
History and Geography, Design.
Rhetoric,
Its pupils were mostly young. Their general ap
pearance was sprightly and interesting ; and, in several
departments, I witnessed satisfactory indications of
their improvement. The library contained four thou
sand volumes, chiefly in French.
The inhabitants of Maranham make claim, and not
without reason, to a degree of intelligence, and liberality
of views and feelings, equal to that of the larger citie?
of the empire. So long as they persevere in their recent
efforts at improvement, they will continue to deserve
high commendation from their countrymen and others.
Among the first objects of interest that I observed,
while surveying the town, was this inscription, in large
letters — Typographia de Temperancja — indicating
the establishment of a Temperance press, the first and
only one of which I heard in the empire. This press,
being one of four in the place, has been the means of
disseminating the principles of total abstinence, widely
throughout the northern portions of Brazil — as I had
the pleasure of observing in Ceara. It has issued a
variety of useful publications for gratuitous circulation,

THE SCRIPTURES. 243
most of which have been translated from the American
journals and tracts on the subject. I found the pro
prietor of the establishment an intelligent and worthy
individual, two of whose sons had received their edu
cation in the United States. At his office I procured a
quantity of temperance publications, for dissemination
in other parts of the empire; leaving, at the same
time, a quantity of Scriptures for his use.
On my return from Para, I was informed that a
number of copies had been put in circulation, notwith
standing some efforts to prevent their being received
by the people. During the interval of my absence, a
priest from Turi, a place between Maranham and
Para, had reported to the bishop of the diocese the
strange fact, that certain Bibles had made their ap
pearance in his parish, whereupon he sought the advice
of his superior, with respect to the propriety of suffering
them to be read. His reverence, the diocesan, was
quite an old man; and, either on account of his being
nervous, or because his feelings were not of the most
liberal character, as was more than hinted to me, he
became wonderfully alarmed. The whole world seemed
to him to be turning heretic. Every body was dis
trusted, while the faithful were immediately warned,
lest they should be contaminated by the Bibles ; and
lest, by some miracle or coup de main, they should be
at once catechized into Protestantism. A priest was
dispatched to examine the books I had deposited for
distribution; and, it was to be hoped, that his exami
nation was quite satisfactory, since no report was ever
made to the world, indicating the contrary. The pub
lic gave but little heed to the unnecessary alarms of the
old bishop.

244 recolhimento.
On one of my early morning walks, I paused in the
chapel of the Recolhimento, and listened to a doleful
chanting of the Ave Maria and Gloria Patri, which, for
aught I could perceive, was destined to be the order of
the day. At the chapel of the Franciscan convent, in
the midst of a formidable collection of images, there
appeared, suspended in a prominent place, a large
number of diseased hands, feet, arms, legs, and other
members of the human body; or, rather, their fac
similes in wax — all which were exhibited as trophies
of the healing power of the glorious founder of the or
der. The church of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios is
small, but very neat and plain within. A few rods in
front of it stands an Alpendre, beside which, booths
were being erected for the convenience and entertain
ment of the people at the festas.
Notwithstanding the unhappy influence of the revo
lution upon business of all kinds, yet various buildings
were going up in different parts of the town. The
south-western portion of the city, bordering on the
river, is denominated the Varadouro, and is not dis
similar in appearance to the Prainha of Rio de Janeiro.
This section, contains the market-place, located in an
open square. In one part of the square the merchants
hold their exchange. Here also is an ancient edifice,
built by a commercial company, formed under the
patronage of the Portuguese government in 1680, and
now used as an Alfandega. In the same neighborhood
are vast cotton warehouses, some of which contain
cotton presses of a rude and clumsy construction,
wrought entirely by manual force, and of a style that
seems to survive all the improvements of other coun
tries.

M0NTARIA.

245

In the river, in front of the Varadouro, a respectable
collection of merchant vessels may generally be seen
at anchor. None of the water craft, however, appear
more picturesque than does the montaria, a species of
flat boat, used much on these waters. In the first one
which I saw, I counted ten Indians paddling it rapidly
against the tide. They each held a paddle about the
size and shape of an oval spade, perpendicularly, in
both hands, and all striking at once into the water,
gave the boat great momentum.

MONTARIA.

Various facts in the history of this portion of South
America, are worthy of attention. The river and bay
of Maranham were discovered in A. D. 1500, by Vin
cent Yanez Pinzon, an associate of Columbus, during
V

246 DISCOVERY.
his voyage of discovery, and the commander of the
Nina. This individual, having obtained permission to
go in search of new countries, fitted out four caravels,
which were the first Spanish vessels that crossed the
equinoctial line. Steering south-west from the Cape
de Verds, they made a point of land, which, from the
relief it gave them in the midst of their almost despe
rate undertaking, they named Cape Consolation. It
Has since been known as Cape St. Augustine. From
this they followed the coast along to the north-west,
occasionally landing, to have communication with the
natives, until they came to what was afterwards known
to be Maranham. The Spaniards were received hos
pitably and unsuspiciously by the natives, but made a
most villainous return for such kindness, by seizing
thirty of these unoffending people and carrying them
away to sell for slaves. Pinzon supposed that the land
he had visited, was India beyond the Ganges, and that
he had sailed past the great city of Cathay. He took
possession- of the coast for the crown of Castile; but,
before he returned to Europe, it had been visited and
claimed by the Portuguese, to whom it belonged, accord
ing to the liberal division of all unknown countries made
by pope Alexander VI. between Spain and Portugal.
In 1530, Maranham was made a captaincy, and
conferred upon Joam de Barros, the great Portuguese
historian, author of that classic work, As decadas de
India. The donatary had not sufficient means to un
dertake the conquest and colonization of the country
alone. He accordingly divided his grant with Fernam
Alvares de Andrada and Aires da Cunha, who equip
ped the most extensive armament that had yet gone
to Portuguese America. Ten ships were fitted out,

EARLY HISTORY. 247
carrying nine hundred men, of whom one hundred and
thirteen were horsemen. Aires da Cunha went out as
commander, accompanied by two sons of Barros, but
the whole fleet suffered shipwreck off the mouth of the
river. Only a few individuals survived the disaster —
most of those who escaped drowning being slain by the
savages. A few years before, Diogo de Ordas, an
adventurer, famous in Mexican history for having as
cended the burning mountain of Popocatapel, had met
with a similar disaster off Maranham. Again, in 1544,
a third expedition, commanded by Luiz de Mello, in
favor of whom Joam de Barros had waived his right
to the captaincy, was also wrecked upon the shoals,
just as that of Aires da Cunha had been before it.
It was reserved for the French to make the first
permanent settlement at Maranham. An expedition
for this purpose embarked at Cancalle, in Bretagne,
early in 1612. It was commanded by Ravardiere, a
Huguenot, who had associated with him, besides seve
ral of his own faith, four Capuchin missionaries. This
difference of religion seems not to have caused any
dissension among the adventurers ; and it was Claude
d' Abbeville, the chief of the mission, who afterward
served as historian to the enterprise. On their voyage
out they touched at Fernando de Noronha. At length
they landed on the island of Santa Anna, where the
Capuchins erected a great cross, at the same time
blessing the island and dedicating it to the Virgin
Mary. Having proceeded to the present site of Ma
ranham, a fort was begun, and mounted with twenty
great pieces of cannon. Close at hand a warehouse
was erected, to contain the goods brought out by the
French; and, at no great distance, a house for the

248 THE FRENCH.
missionaries. The Capuchins blessed the earth, in
order to purify it from the pestiferous paganism by
which it had been so long defiled, and in the height of
their joy christened their tenement as the convent of
S. Francisco. In mutual compliment to the saint and
the royal family of France, the town was named St.
Louis, and the bay Saint Mary. A main object of the
French seems to have been to encourage the enmity
of the natives against the Portuguese. This senti
ment, however, needed no exasperation, so fresh was
their recollection of the many injuries they had received
on various parts of the coast. The commander of the
expedition had good success in allying the native chiefs
to his standard; while the Capuchins persuaded many
of the natives to abandon making holes in their ears
and lips.
In a short time Claude d'Abbeville returned to
Europe with one of the associate commanders, to re
port progress. He took with him six unbaptized Tupi-
namambas, that the Parisians might make a raree-show
of their christening. This part of the plan, says Mr.
Southey, succeeded admirably. Three of them, indeed,
died soon after their landing, but the other three occa
sioned a holiday wherever they appeared, and the king
and queen regent stood sponsors at their baptism.
Unfortunately for the French, the government of
Brazil was just turning its attention in the direction
of Maranham. The Portuguese troops attacked the
intruders, and after about three years of alternate
fighting and parleying, the French were obliged to
withdraw. In 1630, the English attempted a settle
ment within its bounds, but were repelled. The Dutch,
under Koin, in 1641, were successful. They captured

THE DUTCH — THE INDIANS. 249
Maranham and pillaged it, indulging in much cruel
and reckless conduct. But their expedition was ill-
judged. Calculators, as the Hollanders were, they
seem never to have considered how disproportionate
their conquests were becoming to their means of main
taining them. St. Louis, like St. Salvador and Olin
da, had been easily won; but here also the people
soon began to work for their own deliverance. About
fifty Portuguese conspired together to deliver Maran
ham, or perish in the attempt. Their first efforts were
successful. They slew many of their invaders, and
but two or three years elapsed before Maranham was
evacuated by the Dutch. This occurred on the arrival
of strong succours from Portugal.
Many of the misfortunes of this portion of Brazil
arose from the incompetency of its early governors,
several of whom indulged in acts of great tyranny and
meanness. From this cause arose a perpetual series
of factious appeals and seditions, which exerted a dis
astrous influence on the people and the country. If
the Portuguese governors and colonists were agreed
in any one thing, it was in enslaving and oppressing
the poor Indians, who found no escape from their cruel
ties. Yet here it was that the Jesuits faithfully resisted
such oppression ; and Vieyra, one of the most power
ful men known in the history of that order, exerted his
splendid talents to preserve the freedom, and promote
the civilization, of the unfortunate aboriginals. After
a temporary expulsion of the Jesuits, the slave-trade
was re-opened, and continued with tenfold horrors,
until, in 1673, the government of Portugal, convinced
that no regulations could prevent the abuses and cruel
ties of this nefarious traffic, determined to abolish the
Vol. II.— 32

250 GOMEZ FREIRE.
slavery of the Indians altogether. This decree pro
duced an insurrection at St. Luiz, headed by one
Beckman, and supported by some priests, one of whom
fomented the rebellion in a public sermon, and another
perfofmed a Te Deum in the cathedral in honor of
its success. The clergy generally were no credit to
their profession, many of them having been degraded
in Europe; but now, that their jealousy had been pro
voked by a restoration of the Jesuits to their former
position, their rage knew no bounds. When Beck-
man could find no one else that had the daring to go
to Para, and inflame rebellion there, a friar unfrocked
himself and volunteered on the infamous mission.
Gomez Freire, a man of rare talents, was sent out
from Lisbon to recover Maranham. His expedition
was successful. Beckman escaped, but when a reward
was offered for his capture, he was betrayed by one of
his relatives, and delivered up to suffer for his treason.
He was imprisoned, and finally executed. So tender
were the feelings of Gomez Freire, that he was almost
incapable of signing the warrant for his execution. A
more painful trial awaited him when the wife of Beck
man, accompanied by two unmarried daughters, came
in mourning and with disheveled hair, to solicit his
clemency. He met them in the ante-room, and they
fell to embrace his feet. When the wife could repress
her sorrow sufficiently to make utterance audible, she
said she had not come to entreat for her husband's
life, because she knew that if it had been in the go
vernor's power to spare it he would have done so with
out entreaties, but she came to present two orphans
to his compassion. The unhappy girls themselves
seconded this wretched petition, praying that he, who,

PROGRESS OF SOCIETY. 251
in his public capacity made them orphans, would, as
a man and a Christian, so far supply the place of their
father as to grant them an asylum in his family, though
it were in the capacity of slaves. The occasion was
singularly tragic. Freire promised to do for them the
best he could. Accordingly, when Beckman's property,
being confiscated, was put up for sale, he, at his own
private expense, purchased the whole and restored it
immediately to the daughters. Beckman suffered with
meekness and penitence, confessing that he had at
tempted to shoot the governor when he landed. The
friar, who had provoked rebellion from the pulpit, was
simply incarcerated in his convent.
In 1685, seventy years after the expulsion of the
French, St. Luiz contained about one thousand Por
tuguese. Many of these belonged to the nobility, a
rank to which all were entitled who had held a com
mission in the ordenanca, or local militia, at any time,
although it had only been for ninety days. This nobi
lity not only conferred caste, but also peculiar exemp
tions and privileges, on its possessor. The foolish pride,
which such distinctions were calculated to foster, was
increased by an act of John IV., granting to Maran
ham and Para privileges such as were enjoyed by
Oporto and Lisbon, whose inhabitants occupied a foot
ing almost equivalent to that of knights errant. The
Maranhenses, however, might not ride upon mules —
to breed these animals they considered an injury to
the state.
At the end of another century, in 1785, Maranham
had grown to be a city of twelve thousand inhabitants.
The cultivation of rice and cotton had become exten
sive and profitable, although when first introduced it

252 REVOLUTION OF INDEPENDENCE.
was regarded as a foolish and troublesome innovation.
From this time forward, Maranham enjoyed a quiet
and permanent prosperity during the period that Bra
zil remained a colony of Portugal. Nor was this pro
vince involved in any important contest during the
war of independence.
In 1823, when the Portuguese troops, under Gene
ral Madeira, evacuated Bahia, Lord Cochrane, com
manding the line of battle ship Pedro I., after having
pursued the Portuguese fleet across the line, bore
away for Maranham, although he had no specific
orders so to do. On entering the harbor he perceived
that several transports, with Portuguese troops, had
arrived before him. He accordingly made immediate
preparation for a blockade. This, however, became
unnecessary, as the provisional junta, which then ad
ministered the government, soon came off to deliver
up the town, and to testify their adhesion to the cause
of independence. The admiral immediately took pos
session of the Portuguese vessels in the harbor, and
gave orders for the confiscation of all property belong
ing to Portuguese resident in Portugal. Some of the
prize vessels, as well as quantities of the merchandize
seized, were redeemed on account of the proprietors,
and the amounts fixed for such an object paid over to
Lord Cochrane. The remainder he dispatched to
Rio de Janeiro, whither he followed them, after taking
measures for the pacification of the country. His
cruise had been completely successful, leaving, as he
did, the whole coast clear of the enemies of Brazil. As
a testimony of the value set upon this service, the
Emperor conferred upon him the rank and title of
Marquis of Maranham.

LORD COCHRANE. 253
Whether his second visit to this port was as credit
able to him as the first, the reader may judge. It
occurred the next year, 1824, after the subjection of
Pernambuco, of which an account has been given.
The province of Maranham was found in ta state of
anarchy. The leaders of the army organized in favor
of the independence, had risen against the authority of
the president, Miguel Bruce, a Brazilian, originally of
Scotch extraction, and hostilities were actually in ope
ration at the time when Lord Cochrane entered the
port, each of the contending parties ostensibly declar
ing for Don Pedro, and each accusing the other of
wishing to form a republic. As Bruce, who, at the
time held the city, placed his chief confidence in peo
ple of color, to many of whom he had given commis
sions, the more respectable class of inhabitants hailed
the arrival of Lord Cochrane with great joy.
After remaining a few weeks in port, and ascertain
ing the actual state of parties, his lordship sent a
cutter, with thirty men, up the river Itapicuru, to the
scene of hostilities, with an order for both parties to
lay down their arms. This mandate the assailing
party immediately complied with, and dispersed. The
troops of the president also embarked in five smacks,
and were under way to Maranham, when they were
met by Lord Cochrane, who had followed the cutter in
the Atlantic schooner, and after being brought under
the guns of the Piranga and the Pedro Primeiro, they
were compelled to disembark on a small island, where
they were retained as prisoners. Bruce himself was
subsequently dispossessed of his powers, and sent off
by an early conveyance to Rio de Janeiro.
Having thus re-established order throughout the
W

254 lord cochrane's claims.
province, and appointed to the presidency Manoel
Telles da Silva Lobo, an individual entirely in his own
interests, Lord Cochrane proceeded to carry into exe
cution a plan which he seems to have formed long
before. Notwithstanding the services which he had
already rendered to Brazil, and ¦ the acknowledgment
of them in the title of Marquis of Maranham, confer
red upon him by the Emperor, he had hitherto received
neither payment for his services nor reimbursement
for his expenses. He therefore looked upon the ad
mission of his claims on the imperial government as
hopeless, and determined to seize the present oppor
tunity of indemnifying himself whilst it was yet in his
power. In doing this he had nothing to apprehend
from the president. This individual, the humble ex-
secretary to the provincial government, owed his ele
vation solely to the favor of his lordship ; the besieging
army had dispersed, and the troops of Bruce were
prisoners. Under the plea, therefore, that the ord
nance, military stores, ammunition, and all the various
fixtures formerly appertaining to the Portuguese go
vernment, were in reality the lawful prize of their
captors, he proceeded to make an estimate of their
value, which was found to amount to nearly four hun
dred contos of reis. This amount, however, and also
the sixty contos formerly furnished to the army of
Piauhy, his lordship, in consideration of the impove
rished state of the province, agreed to commute for
about the fourth part, or a hundred and six contos,
provided the latter sum were paid immediately. A
memorial to this effect was then sent into the trea
sury; but as the claim was altogether novel, and
the members of the board had neither a sufficient

BANISHMENT OF ABRANCHES. 255
amount in their coffers, nor any orders from the go
vernment of Rio, they demurred respecting its pay
ment. His lordship, in consequence, appeared in per
son at a meeting held by this body, and after adducing
his estimates, proceeded to urge the claims of the
squadron, with great firmness. As was to be expected,
a unanimous vote was finally passed, that as the trea
sury was nearly empty, the custom-house should fur
nish the stipulated sum, and an order was given on
the latter establishment for the amount.
This order was to be discharged by successive in
stalments. The conduct of Lord Cochrane was, in the
meantime, bitterly arraigned by an individual named
Abranches, the editor of a periodical entitled the
"Censor." This person, a Portuguese by birth, had
the boldness to stigmatize the admiral, as at once • a
pirate and a robber. For several weeks Lord Coch
rane, through the medium of another periodical, pub
licly responded to the accusations brought against him
in the "Gensor;" but finding that his exculpations
appeared only to aggravate the violence of his oppo
nent, he determined on the adoption of more decisive
measures. The president was easily induced to issue
an order for the instantaneous banishment of Abran
ches, on the alleged ground of his having issued publi
cations at once inimical to the public peace, and per
sonally offensive to the Marquis of Maranham; a
sentence which was immediately carried into execution,
and which subsequently gave rise to the keenest mor
tification' on the part of the ministry in Rio de Janeiro.
The money, meanwhile, came round but slowly, and
the designs of his lordship were again subjected to a
far more serious obstacle, in the arrival of another

256 BARROS.
president from Rio de Janeiro. The conduct of Bruce
had for a long time been unsatisfactory to the court,
and the consequence was, that before the news of his
dismissal had arrived there, an individual of the name
of Pedro Joze da Costa Barros, a partisan of the Por
tuguese faction, had been appointed to supersede him
in the presidency. The newly appointed functionary
arrived at his destination early in February, when he
was received with all due honors by the actual presi
dent, as well as by Lord Cochrane and his suite, and
requested to take charge of the government on the fol
lowing day. To their solicitations he very naturally
replied, that finding the province in a state of peace,
he was anxious to ascertain the particulars of the late
convulsions, and the actual state of political parties,
before he entered upon his official duties. No sooner,
however, had he been made aware of the late proceed
ings of Lord Cochrane, than he intimated to his lord
ship his intention to assume office in the course of a
few days. To this sudden resolution his lordship as
suddenly refused to accede. It had become evident
that Barros was an individual of a much less comply
ing disposition than Lobo, the actual president; and
as the payment of the stipulated one hundred and six
contos was still incomplete, his lordship took occasion
to postpone the fulfillment of Barros' intention, under
the plea that he had already written to Rio de Janeiro
regarding political affairs, and that as he expected an
answer within ten days, he deemed it most advisable
to retain Lobo in office until the expiration of that
time. Incensed at this unexpected opposition, Barros
immediately threw off the mask, and telling lord
Cochrane that he fully comprehended the motives of

COCHRANE SAILS FOR ENGLAND.

257

this treatment, threatened to make his lordship respon
sible for it to the Emperor.
The revenue of the custom-house, in the meantime,
came forward more slowly than ever. The appointed
ten days passed over, and after thern twenty more, but
neither had the amount been completed, nor had the
expected communications arrived from Rio de Janeiro;
Barros had, however, in connection with a number of
partisans, determined on a forcible attempt to invest
himself with the presidency, to be executed on the 10th
of March, 1825. Of this Lord Cochrane received in
telligence in an anonymous communication, and after
disembarking a force from his line-of-battle ship, he
proceeded to arrest Barros as a conspirator, and on the
12th sent him off a prisoner in the brig of war Cacique,
to Para, there to await the determination of the Em
peror. Having at length received the stipulated sum from
the custom-house, as well as fifteen contos in ransom
for a slave vessel claimed as a prize on the first sur
render of Maranham, and still retained there, his Lord
ship finally sailed for England in the Piranga, on the
20th of May. He had already placed Commodore
Jewett in the Pedro Primeiro, and dispatched that
vessel to Bahia, whither he gave it out to be his inten
tion to follow her. He, nevertheless, proceeded directly
to Portsmouth, where he arrived after a passage of
thirty-seven days. His engagement had been to serve
Brazil until the recognition of her independence by
Portugal, and till this event took place, he kept his flag
flying on board the Piranga, though there was but
little probability that his services would ever again be
Vol. II.— 33 w 2

258 IMPROVEMENT OF THE PROVINCE.
desired by Brazil, after the course he had taken in
Maranham. Since the establishment of the imperial government
Maranham has continued to flourish; the city has in
creased, and the province gradually improved, without
any great interruption except the insurrection of 1839,
of which an account has been given.

INLAND PASSAGE TO PARA 259

CHAPTER XV.
Inland Passage to Para. — Voyage by Sea: — Entrance of the Amazon. —
Pororoea. — Ascent of the River. — Arrival at Para. — Bethel Service. —
Location and Appearance of the City. — Style of Buildings. — Public
Walk  -Botanical Garden. — The Suburbs. — The People. — Indians. —
Soldiers. — River Craft. — Bathing. — Productions of the Province. — A
Home. — The Palace.— License of Residence. — Pinbeiros. — Una. —
Maguary. — An Amazonian Forest. — Geological Formation. — Rice
Mills. The voyage from Maranham to Para used in former
years, according to Mr. Southey, to be performed by
canoes passing through the continent, and coasting
around not less than thirty-two bays, many of them so
large that sight cannot span them. These bays are
connected by a labyrinth of streams and waters, so
that the voyage may be greatly shortened by ascend
ing one river with the flow, crossing to another, and
descending with the ebb. The distance thus circuit-
ously measured is about three hundred leagues, and
may be. traversed in thirty days. I met with one indi
vidual who had, in early life, passed through this inland
passage in a much more direct course, his voyage oc
cupying only fourteen days. It was at that golden era
when Indian labor was plenty, and could be secured
at four cents per day. Some years after, the same
individual wished to perform the same voyage, but was
forced to abandon the idea, from the difficulty of find
ing canoe-men to serve him even at fifty cents per day.
He entertained the most delightful recollections of the
rout, exhibiting as it did the glories of nature in all

260 VOYAGE BY SEA.
their pristine loveliness. Nothing interrupted the se
curity of the traveler, and nothing disturbed the silence
of those sylvan retreats, save the chattering of mon
keys, or the caroling of birds. The silver expanse of
waters, and the magnificent foliage of tropical forests,
taller than the world elsewhere contains, and so dense
as almost to exclude the light of the sun, combined to
impress the mind with inexpressible grandeur.
The canoes were drawn up on shore every night
when refreshment and repose were desired, and the
skillful Indians, in a few moments, could secure suffi
cient game for the subsistence of the party. Thus the
voyage was prosecuted with little fatigue, and with
every diversion.
The distance to Para, by sea is about four hundred
miles, and is traversed by the steam packets in from
two to three days. We passed out of the harbor of
Maranham in the afternoon, and at evening were off
Itacolumi. Our course all the next day lay near the
shore, which is uniformly low and much sinuated. On
the second morning we were on the look-out for the
entrance of the great Amazon, the southern mouth of
which is usually denominated the Para river. The
navigation is by no means safe here, for the reason
that no prominent landmarks exist to certify the mari
ner of his position. In the night, or in thick weather,
it is almost impossible to find Selinas, the only pilot
station on the coast, and the pilots never cruise for
vessels at any considerable distance out. Moreover,
the entrance of the river lies between two dano-erous
shoals, denominated Tigo§a and Braganza, but not
unlike Scylla and Charybdis. Hence, vessels are fre
quently wrecked, and whole crews sometimes perish in

ENTRANCE OF THE AMAZON. 261
seeking to enter the river, although in descending their
course is obvious and safe. We entered this mouth
of the Amazon at a fortunate juncture. The weather
was so clear that we distinctly saw the breakers on
both Tigoca and Braganza banks, and the tide had
just commenced flowing upward. For nearly an hour
we could observe just ahead, the conflict of the ascend
ing and descending waters. Finally, the mighty force
of the ocean predominated, and the current of the river
seemed to recoil before it.
This phenomenon is called, from its aboriginal name,
pororoca, and gives character to the navigation of the
Amazon for hundreds of miles. No sailing craft can
descend the river while the tide is running up. Hence
both in ascending and descending, distances are mea
sured by tides. For instance, Para is three tides from
the ocean, and a vessel entering with the flood must
lie at anchor during two ebb tides before she can reach
the city. Canoes and small vessels are sometimes
endangered in the commotion caused by the pororoca,
and hence they generally, in anticipation, lay-to in cer
tain places called esperas or resting-places, where the
water is known to be but little agitated. Most of the
vessels used in the commerce of the upper Amazon
are constructed with reference to this peculiarity of the
navigation, being designed for floating on the current
rather than for sailing before the wind, although their
sails may often be made serviceable.
The ebb and flow of the tides in the Amazon are
observed with regularity six hundred miles above the
mouth, at the confluence of the river Madeira. The
pororoca is much more violent on the northern side of
the island Marajo', where the mouth is wider and the

262 POROROCA.
current more shallow. It was well described by Con-
damine a hundred years ago, in these terms :
" During three days before the new and full moons,
the period of the highest tides, the sea, instead of oc
cupying six hours to reach its flood, swells to its highest
limit in one or two minutes. It might be inferred that
such a phenomenon could not take place in a very
tranquil manner. The noise of this terrible flood is
heard five or six miles, and increases as it approaches.
Presently you see a liquid promontory twelve or fifteen
feet high, followed by another, and another, and some
times by a fourth. These watery mountains spread
across the whole channel, and advance with a pro
digious rapidity, rending and crushing every thing in
their way. Immense trees are instantly uprooted by
it, and sometimes whole tracts of land are swept
away." As we passed up the great river, the color of the
water changed from the dark hue of the ocean we had
left to a light green, and afterwards, by degrees, to a
muddy yellow. We were barely in sight of the south
eastern bank of the river ; and after we had ascended
over forty miles, the island of Marajd began to be
visible on the opposite side. In the course of the cjay
we approached nearer the continent, and the shore was
seen to be uniformly level, and densely covered with
mangrove thickets. The only village distinctly seen
was Collares, which our commander, Captain Hayden,
had captured during the revolution some years pre
vious. The whole day we were borne along by the
combined force of steam and wind, but the tide was
part of the time against us. At evening a clear, full
moon, shed down from an unclouded sky new splendor

BETHEL SERVICE. 263
upon a scene already sublime. A most fragrant breeze
from the land became more and more perceptible as
the river narrowed. Two boats were the only craft
we saw during the whole ascent. Finally, we came
alongside the Forte da Barra, two miles distant from
the city of Belem, and were hailed as we passed.
The lights of the town, and of vessels in front of it,
then became visible. We described a semicircle
around the harbor, passing between two vessels of
var, and came to an anchor at ten o'clock.
The towers of the cathedral, of the palace, and of
¦everal churches, were distinctly visihle in the moon-
ight. Our vessel was soon boarded by numerous
/isitors, among whom were two naval officers of Eng
lish birth, one in an official capacity, the other not,
but both miserably intoxicated. Visitors at length
withdrew, and the passengers retired to rest.
I found at Para several North Americans engaged
in commercial and mechanical pursuits, and constitu
ting a larger community of citizens of the United States
than is found elsewhere in Brazil, save at Rio de
Janeiro. The second day after our arrival was the Sabbath,
and through the courtesy of Captain H. it was ar
ranged that I should hold a Bethel service on board the
Maranhense steamer. Some American seamen were
present, and several persons went off from the shore.
These, together with the ship's company, formed an
audience of about thirty, to whom I announced the
tidings of the kingdom of God. Making allowance for
the circumstance of a public packet just clear of her
passengers, and the same night going to sea with an
other supply, the occasion was very favorable for divine

264 APPEARANCE OF THE CITY.
service, and I felt truly grateful for the opportunity,
probably the first ever enjoyed by any Protestant min
ister, of attempting to preach Jesus and the resurrec
tion, upon the wide waters of the Amazon. I held
similar services at Para on the seven succeeding Sab
baths, once on board an American vessel in port, and
at other times in the private house of a friend.
The location of Para or the city of Belem, is in
1° 21' S. latitude, and 48° 28' W. longitude. Its site
occupies an elevated point of land, on the south-eastern
bank of the Para river, the most important mouth of
the Amazon. This city is eighty miles from the ocean,
and may be seen from a long distance down the river.
It has a very imposing appearance when approached
from that direction. Its anchorage is very good, formed
by an abrupt curve in the stream, and admits vessels
of a large draft. The great island of Marajd forms
the opposite bank, twenty miles distant, but is wholly
obscured from sight by intervening and smaller islands.
The general appearance of Para corresponds to that
of most Brazilian towns, presenting an array of whiten
ed walls and red-tiled roofs. The plan on which it is
laid out is not deficient in either regularity or taste.
Its public squares are three in number — that of the
Palace, of the Quartel, and of the Largo da Polvora.
Besides these, there are several smaller squares in
front of the cathedral, and of several of the convents.
The streets are neither wide nor well paved. The
proportion of large well-built houses is respectable,
although the back streets are mostly filled with those
that are diminutive in size, and indifferent in con
struction. The style of dwelling-houses is peculiar, but well

STYLE OF BUILDINGS. 265
adapted to the climate. A wide veranda is an essen
tial portion of every habitation. It sometimes extends
quite around the outside of the building ; while a
similar construction prevails on at least three sides of
a spacious area within. A part of the inner veranda,
or at least a room connected with it, serves as the
dining room, and is almost invariably airy and pleasant.
The front rooms only are ceiled, save in the highest
and most expensive edifices. Latticed windows are
more common than glass, but some houses are fur
nished with both, although preference is always given
to the former in the dry season. Instead of small,
dark, and unventilated alcoves, and sweltering beds for
sleeping, they have suspension hooks arranged for
swinging hammocks across the corners of all the large
rooms, and transversely along the entire sweep of the
verandas. Some dwellings contain fixtures of this
sort for swinging up fifty or sixty persons every night
with the least possible inconvenience.
The effects of the revolution of 1835 are still very
apparent in Para. Almost every street shows more or
less houses battered with bullets or cannon shot. Some
were but slightly defaced, others were nearly destroyed.
Of the latter, some have been repaired, others aban
doned. The S. Antonio convent was much exposed
to the cannonading, and bears many marks of shot in
its walls. One of the missiles was so unlucky as to
destroy an image perched in a lofty niche on the front
of the convent. The niche has since been closed up.
While the city of Para fronts upon the river, its rear
is skirted by the finest shaded walk I saw in any of the
Brazilian towns. The Estrada das Mangabeiras is a
highway extending from near the marine arsenal on
Vol. II.— 34 X

266 PUBLIC WALKS — GARDENS.
the river side, to the Largo da Polvora on the eastern
extremity of the city. It is intersected by avenues
leading from the Palace Square and the Largo do
Quartel. Its name is derived from the mangabeira
trees, with which it is densely shaded on either side.
The bark of these shade trees is of a light grayish
color, regularly striped with green, — their product is a
coarse cotton that may be used for several purposes, —
their appearance is at once neat and majestic. Part
of them were planted many years ago, and the remain
der by the late president Andrea. In the immediate
vicinity of this road is the old convent, now hospital
of S. Joze, and near by it the recolhimento of orphan
girls. In the grounds of the former establishment a
botanical garden was commenced in 1797, for the cul
tivation of indigenous and foreign plants and trees.
The location was appropriate, the ground was fertile,
and with proper cultivation this spot might have been
made a perfect miniature of the tropical world. The
spices and fruits of the East Indies would have flou
rished here, and, mingled with the choice plants of the
American torrid zone, would have formed a collection
unrivaled for richness and variety.
But what was only commenced, has been long since
abandoned, to the sorrow of every one who can appre
ciate the advantages nature may derive from art. A
few private gardens in the vicinity well deserve a visit,
but they are by no means what they should be in such
a place. This neglect of improvement, however, is not
the worst consequence that has followed the revolutions
and disorders that for many years prevailed at inter
vals in this ill-fated town. Many are the finely located
streets where scarcely a solitary foot path penetrates

THE SUBURBS. 267
the thick and ever-growing bushes that overspread
them ; while throughout the suburbs one is momentarily
passing forsaken tenements, and the walls of houses,
many of them of a superior order, no longer occupied.
Beyond the actual precincts of the city, one may in
stantly bury himself in a dense forest, and become shut
out from every indication of the near residence of man.
The coolness of these silent shades is always invi
ting, but the stranger must beware lest he loses hie
way and never return. Many stories are told of per
sons who became bewildered in the mazes of these
thickets, and though but a short distance off, were
utterly unable to find their way back to town. Seve
ral are believed to have perished in this manner.
The traveler, on entering Para, is struck with the
peculiar appearance of the people. The regularly de
scended Portuguese and Africans do not, indeed, differ
from their brethren in other parts, but they are com
paratively few here, while the Indian race predominates.
The aboriginals of Brazil may here be seen both in
pure blood, and in every possible degree of intermix
ture with both blacks and whites. They occupy every
station in society, and may be seen as the merchant,
the tradesman, the sailor, the soldier, the priest, and
the slave. In the last named condition they excited
most my attention and sympathy. The thought of
slavery is always revolting to an ingenuous mind,
whether it be considered as forced upon the black, the
white, or the red man. But there has been a fatality
connected with the enslavement of the Indians, extend
ing both to their captors and to themselves, which
invests their servitude with peculiar horrors.
Nearly all the revolutions that have occurred at

268 SOLDIERS.
Para are directly or indirectly traceable to the spirit
of revenge with which the bloody expeditions of the
early slave-hunters are associated in the minds of the
natives and mixed bloods throughout the country.
An effect of those oft-recurring revolutions is seen in
the military government of the city. The number of
soldiers quartered in it during my residence there was
not great, but fresh recruits were* constantly under
drill. Now, that the Indians can no longer be directly
enslaved, they are daily pressed for the service of the
army and navy; and it is certainly no very amusing,
though, in spite of oneself, sometimes a laughter-
making process, by which some of these wild sons of
nature are trained to the regular attitudes and evolu
tions of soldiers.
All important posts throughout the town are regu
larly guarded, and whoever approaches after eight
o'clock at night, is hailed with a harsh indistinct call,
" Quern vai Id?" — Who goes there? The proper
answer is, "Amigo" — A friend. To this the con
descending permission, " Passa largo!" is generally
retorted by the soldier, and the person goes by. As
my lodgings were opposite the trem, or military arse
nal, my ears became very familiar with these excla
mations, which were vociferated the whole night long.
Not only these, but the piercing scream "as armas!"
which resounded every hour when guard was relieved,
and the blowing of a horn at frequent intervals, as for
example, at Ave Marias, when all the soldiers doff
their caps in honor of the Virgin, formed no small
annoyance, at least during hours allotted to repose.
Among the troops stationed at Para was a corps of
German soldiers, originally numbering three hundred,

RIVER CRAFT.

269

but now, after the fighting, the sickness, and the de
sertions of three or four years, reduced to about sixty.
Another peculiar custom of Pari is the ringing of bells,
and the discharge of rockets, at a very early hour of
the morning. I sometimes heard it at four o'clock,
and with much regularity at five.
Few objects at Para attract more attention from
the stranger than the fashionable craft of the river.
Vessels of all sizes, from that of a sloop down to a
shallop, are called canoas. Few canoes proper, how
ever, are in use. The Montaria, seen and described
at Maranham, is very common in the harbor.
The large canoas, made for freighting on the river,
appear constructed for any thing else rather than water

AMAZONIAN CANOE.
x2

270 PECULIAR CUSTOMS.
craft. Both stem and stern are square. The hull
towers up out of the water like that of a Chinese junk.
Over the quarter deck is constructed a species of
awning, or round-house, generally made of thatch, to
protect the navigator against the sun by day and the
dew by night. Sometimes a similar round-house is
constructed over the bows, and giving something like
homogeneity to the appearance of the vessel. This
arrangement renders it necessary to have a staging,
or spar-deck, rigged up, on which to perform the
labors of navigation. The steersman generally sits
perched upon the roof of the after round-house. The
idea continually disturbing my mind while beholding
these canoas was, that, being so top-heavy, they were
liable to overset, as they most inevitably would, if
exposed to a gale of wind. They are thought, how
ever, to answer very well their purpose of floating
upon the tide. Moreover, one special advantage of
the round-house is, that it furnishes room for the swing
ing of hammocks, and thus saves the canoe-men the
trouble of going on shore to suspend them on the trees !
Mr. Mawe says, that in descending the Amazon, he
passed a man who had moored his canoe, while he
fastened his bed upon some branches of a tree over
hanging the water, and took a nap !
The street running parallel to the river, and con
necting with the several landings, is that in which the
commercial business of the place is principally trans
acted. At certain hours of the day it presents a very
lively appearance.
Various objects and customs are observed at Para
that appear altogether peculiar to the place. In one.
section of the city, when animals are slaughtered for

PRODUCTIONS OF THE PROVINCE. 271
market, vast numbers of vultures are observed perch
ed upon the trees, or wheeling lazily through the air.
Along the margin of the river, both morning and even
ing, great numbers of people may be seen bathing.
No ceremonies are observed at these very necessary,
and no doubt very agreeable, ablutions. Men, women,
and children, belonging to the lower classes as a mat
ter of course, may be seen at the same moment diving,
plunging, and swimming, in different directions.
There is generally a crowd of canoes around Ponta
das Pedras, the principal landing place. These, toge
ther with the crowd of Indians busily hurrying to and
fro, conversing in the mingled dialects of the Amazon,
are peculiar to Para. Here may be seen cargoes of
Brazil-nuts, cacao, vanilla, annatto, sarsaparilla, cin
namon, tapioca, balsam of copaiba in pots, coarse
dried fish in packages, and baskets of fruits, in infinite
variety, both green and dry. Here are also parrots,
macaws, and some other birds of gorgeous plumage,
and occasionally monkeys and serpents, together with
immense quantities of gum-elastic shoes, which are
generally brought to market suspended on long poles,
to prevent their coming in contact with each other.
The indigenous produce of the province of Para is
immense in quantity, and of great value. If the peo
ple were only industrious in collecting what nature
furnishes so bountifully to their hands, they could not
avoid being rich. If enterprising cultivation were
added to that degree of industry, there is no limit to
the vegetable wealth which might be drawn from this
treasure-house of nature.
My residence in Para was one of very great interest
to me. I received the kindest attentions from Mr. Smith,

272 THE PALACE.
the American consul. I proved his hospitality on vari
ous occasions; but from the circumstance of his already
having an American gentleman and lady in the enjoy
ment of it, I was at liberty to accept the proffer of a
home which was made me at the close of our Bethel
service, on board the Maranhense, by Mr. Henderson,
a merchant from Scotland, resident at Para. For
many reasons it would be pleasing to dwell upon
various particulars connected with my social entertain
ment while sojourning with Mr. H. ; but as I have
hitherto avoided taking any liberties with my friends
on these subjects, I cannot now begin. Suffice it to
say, that whoever travels abroad may count himself
fortunate to find such a home and such a friend.
Before giving account of any excursions in the
vicinity of Para, I will mention that soon after my
arrival, in company of the United States' consul, I
waited on Senhor Franco, the president of the pro
vince, to whom I bore a letter of commendation. This
individual had formerly been clerk in one of the Eng
lish mercantile houses in Para, and was subsequently
educated as a beneficiary of the province, of which he
had now become the chief magistrate. He received
us with civility, and in person conducted us through
the palace. I found that building one of the best of
the kind in the empire. It was built, together with
the cathedral and some of the churches, in the days of
that talented but ambitious prime minister of Portu
gal, the Marquis of Pombal, who cherished the splen
did idea of having the throne of Portugal, and all her
dominions, transferred from the banks of the Tagus to
those of the Amazon. This circumstance accounts for
the ample size, and magnificent structure, of these

LICENSE OF RESIDENCE. 273
buildings, in a town' of moderate extent. The public
offices of the province were arranged in apartments
of the palace, which still had numerous rooms unoc
cupied, unrepaired, and uncleaned. A little cultiva
tion would have transformed the grounds connected
with this edifice into a splendid garden. Without it
they did not deserve the name.
Close beside the palace stand the walls of a half
erected theatre. It was commenced in 1775, by order
of a governor who was so excessively fond of theatrical
amusements, as to desire them as near his own door as
possible. Before his enterprise had progressed far
towards its completion his successor arrived, and pro
nouncing the theatre quite out of place, vetoed its con
struction. The work has never been resumed.
The prison, in the same neighborhood, bears date
of 1775. It is well constructed, and in the second
story furnishes apartments for the municipal chamber
of the city. The prisoners exhibit from the windows
toys and trinkets of various kinds, which they make
for sale; and as their place of confinement is, like
most of the prisons of Brazil, located in a very pub
lic part of the town, it is not improbable that they
thus dispose of considerable quantities of their handi
craft. At a proper time I waited on the juiz de direito, the
chief officer of the police, to exhibit my passport, and
obtain a license of residence in the very loyal and
heroic city of Para, and the province of which it was
capital. No embarrassments were put in my way,
and no detention occurred. I obtained the requisite
license, and kept it until I had occasion to obtain a
new passport on my departure. Nevertheless, it ap-
Vol. II— 35

274 NEEDLESS ALARMS.
peared at one period, that my unmolested residence in
the city was very much in jeopardy.
The old bishop of Para seemed to have caught the
contagion of alarm from his colleague in Maranham,
and both these prelates, yielding more than their sober
judgment should have allowed them to certain un
founded and malicious representations sent them from
some quarter, wrote to Senhor Franco concerning me
as a very dangerous person, who ought not to be suf
fered to land in the province. The president proba
bly satisfied himself on that point during my visit to
him, and although he owed his political elevation very
much to his ecclesiastical patrons, yet he managed to
satisfy their apprehensions by a very short and formal
correspondence with the American consul. No person
interfered with me, or any of my pursuits, from first
to last. In this I was certainly much more fortunate
than some others had been before me. Lieutenant
Mawe, of the British navy, while descending the Ama
zon from Peru, having gone on shore at some point
to examine the ruins of an old fort, was apprehended
as a spy, and carried to Para in durance vile, notwith
standing all remonstrances. No doubt such instances
of petty barbarity will continue to become more rare
as the intelligence of the people, and their rulers, shall
continue to improve.
One of my first excursions in the neighborhood of
Para was what is called a Bota-fora. It was arranged
according to a custom of the place, by which a vessel
and passengers going to sea are accompanied some
distance down the river. The company consisted of
eleven, including sailors to man the launch by which
we were to return. After we had descended under

PRICE AND STATE OF LANDS. 275
the influence of a light wind and a hot sun about twelve
miles, we met the tide and a strong breeze with which
to return. Coming back we landed at an estate called
Pinheiros, once the site of a Carmelite convent, but
for a long time past held as private property, and re
cently sold to the government for a hospital dos Laza-
ros. The house was large and well built, but quite out
of repair. Near by was a large establishment for the
manufacture of tiles, bricks, earthen jars, pots, &c.
The situation of Pinheiros is very commanding, and
eligible for almost any purpose. But so low is the
valuation of land, that this whole estate, comprising
about three thousand acres, sold for eight contos of
reis ; not exceeding five thousand dollars. This may be
given as a specimen of the prices of lands not through
out the region generally, but in the immediate vicinity
of the capital of the province, where, in addition to
local advantages, they generally possess a soil of un
bounded capacity for production.
Either through the general insecurity of life and
property, or the lack of industry and energy among
the people, or owing to both these causes united, sys
tematic and effective cultivation is here unknown, and
millions upon millions of acres of the most fertile land
in the world, lie as wild and almost as useless to man
as the sandy deserts of Africa. That a change for the
better may come over this scene, is much to be hoped,
but there is at present but little prospect of its being
soon realized. One special advantage which Para
enjoys over every other part of Brazil, is the facility
of water communication. Besides the Amazon and its
larger tributaries, an infinite number of smaller streams
and bayous intersect the whole country. Thus nearly

276 PREMATURE DECAY.
every plantation has its river or natural canal, through
which its produce can be forwarded to market without
expense or delay. A day or two after, I took an even
ing walk to a neighboring plantation called the Una,
one of the estates belonging to the late Baron of Ja-
guary. In former days it was very flourishing and
beautiful, being a favorite resort of the Baron. But
now its grounds were overgrown with trees, and an
impenetrable jungle. The large and once elegant
house was half rotted down, and only approachable by
a solitary foot-path leading through an unbroken forest.
The silence of desolation and premature decay per
vaded the premises. Not very different was the situa
tion of another establishment belonging to the same
estate, but situated near the town, and called the Upper
Una. Although originally constructed on a most ex
tensive scale, and finished in a style approaching mag
nificence, it was found at the time of my visit rapidly
verging to ruin. The verandas, the corridors, the
salas, and the chapel, were tenanted by a few slaves
and a multitude of bats. Even in their decay they had
long survived the feasting, the revelries, and the pride
of those whom the easily, if not ill-gotten wealth of
early days, had elevated into the aristocracy of the
Gran-Para. Reflections of a different character were sug
gested by a visit to the American Rice-mills at Ma-
guary. This establishment was situated twelve miles
distant from Para. The road leads nearly the whole
way through a deep unbroken forest, of a density and
a magnitude of which I had, before penetrating it, but
a faint conception. Notwithstanding this is one of the
most public roads leading to or from the city, yet it is

AMAZONIAN FOREST. 277
only for a short distance passable for carriages. In
deed, the branches of trees are not unfrequently in
the way of the rider on horseback. A negro is sent
through the path periodically with a sabre to clip the
increasing foliage and branches before they become too
formidable. Thus the road is kept open and pleasant.
Notwithstanding the heat of the sun in these regions
at noonday, and the danger of too much exposure to
its rays, yet an agreeable coolness always pervades
those retreats of an Amazonian forest, whose lofty and
umbrageous canopy is almost impenetrable. The bril
liancy of the sun's glare is mellowed by innumerable
reflections upon the polished surface of the leaves.
Many of the trees are remarkably straight and very
tall. Some of them are decked from top to bottom
with splendid flowers and parasites, while the trunk*
and boughs of nearly all are interlaced with innumera
ble runners and creeping vines.
These plants form a singular feature of the more
fertile regions of Brazil. But it is on the borders of
the Amazon that they appear in their greatest strength
and luxuriance. They twist around the trees, climbing
up to their tops, then grow down to the ground, and
taking root, spring up again, and cross from bough to
bough, and from tree to tree, wherever the wind car
ries their limber shoots, till the whole woods are hung
with their garlanding. This vegetable cordage is
sometimes so closely interwoven that it has the appear
ance of net-work, which neither birds nor beasts can
easily pass through. Some of the stems are as thick
as a man's arm. They are found or square, and
sometimes triangular, and even pentangular. They
Y

278 GEOLOGICAL FORMATION.
grow in knots and screws, and indeed in every possi
ble contortion to which they may be bent. To break
them is impossible. Sometimes they kill the tree
which supports them, and occasionally remain standing
erect, like a twisted column, after the trunk which
they have strangled has mouldered within their involu
tions. Monkeys delight to play their gambols upon
this wild rigging ; but they are now scarce in the neigh
borhood of Para. Occasionally their chatter is heard
at a distance, mingled with the shrill cries of birds, but
generally a deep stillness prevails, adding grandeur to
the native majesty of these forests.
The soil over which we passed was generally rich,
being composed of intermingled clay and sand. It
was occasionally sprinkled by a choice mould. We
passed some half a dozen small streams, over which
were rude bridges. In one place I discovered a beau
tiful section of rock, which exhibited as plainly as pos
sible the action of the sea. Its general surface was
worn smooth, while here and there small holes had
been sunk in the mass. Perhaps these cavities had
once been nestling places for the echinus.
This circumstance admirably illustrates the geologi
cal formation of the surrounding regions. They are,
beyond question, the alluvial products of the great
king of waters, which has brought down the mud and
loam of the lands it washes, to mingle with the sands
of the receding ocean. Thus, doubtless, was formed
the great island of Marajd, together with numerous
smaller islands in the delta of the Amazon. Two cir
cumstances connected with the river itself, strikingly
confirm this theory. 1st. Its waters are muddy, pre-

RICE-MILL. 279
cipitating a thick sediment. 2d. The process of new
formations is observable in its channel, while at the
same time islands occasionally disappear. I was
pointed, while upon the river one day, to the locality
of an island called Paraquete, which was well remem
bered by all who had navigated the stream in former
years. A deep channe1 now leads over the spot, and
not a vestige of the island remains. Another island
is forming at no great distance from this same locality.
The first notice had of it was from a vessel which
struck on a hitherto unknown, and then invisible sand
bank. Now some acres of beautiful green shrubbery
are exhibited by its surface, and soon tall trees will
stand upon it. The rapidity of vegetable growth has
tens this great work of nature.
Resuming our rout to Maguary, I was surprised to
see lands which ten or twelve years ago had been
planted with sugar-cane, now entirely overgrown wi^h
trees of no insignificant dimensions. Only a few acres
immediately around the engenho had been kept free
from these encroachments. Here was located the first
mill for cleaning rice ever built in the vicinity of
Para.. It was established by North American enter
prise. A small water power existed on the site, but
after the mills were constructed, it was found that this
power was insufficient in the dry season; consequently,
a steam engine of sixteen horse power was imported
from the United States, and has been made to do good
service. The steam power was kept in action con
stantly, and at proper seasons the water power also.
Both were inadequate to the amount of business that
offered. Several American mechanics were employed

280 CHEAP CONVEYANCE.
at this establishment, which, small as it is, compares
favorably with any mechanical establishment in the
whole country. A stream connects this engenho with
the great river, and thus furnishes cheap conveyance
for cargoes to and from the city.

PRODUCTIONS OF PARA. 281

CHAPTER XVI.
Indigenous Productions of Para. — India Rubber. — Massarandiiba. —
Annato. — Cacao. — Botany. — Vaca Marina. — Turtle-egg Butter. —
Convents. — Cathedral. — Paintings vs. Images. — Bentinhos. — Annual
Festivities. — The Procession. — The Crowd. — Amusements. — The
Results. — An Evening Scene. — Morning. — Water Carriers.
Returning to the capital, we will glance at the pro
ducts and business of the province. From what has
been already intimated, the reader is aware that Para
furnishes a greater variety of indigenous productions
used in foreign commerce than any other portion of
the empire, and perhaps greater than any other port
in the world.
Rice, cotton, sugar, and hides, are exported in small
quantities, and are produced by the ordinary methods.
The trade in gum-elastic, cacao, sarsaparilla, cloves,
urucu, and Brazil-nuts, is more peculiar.
The use of the caoutchouc or gum-elastic, was
learned from the Omaguas, a tribe of Brazilian Indians.
These savages used it in the form of bottles and sy
ringes. It was their custom to present a bottle of it
to every guest at the beginning of one of their feasts.
The Portuguese settlers in Para were the first who
profited by turning it to other uses, converting it into
shoes, boots, hats, and garments. It was found to be
specially serviceable in a country so much exposed to
rains and floods. But of late the improvements in
its manufacture have vastly extended its uses, and
made it essential to the health and comfort of the
whole enlightened world. The aboriginal name of this
Vol. II.— 36 r 2

282 INDIA-RUBBER.
substance was cahuchu, the pronunciation of which is
nearly preserved in the word caoutchouc. At Para it
is now generally called borracha. It is the product of
the Siphilla elastica, a tree which grows to the height
of eighty, and sometimes one hundred feet. It gene
rally runs up quite erect, forty or fifty feet, without
branches. Its top is spreading, and is ornamented
with a thick and glossy foliage. On the slightest
incision the gum exudes, having at first the appear
ance of thick yellow cream.
The trees are generally tapped in the morning, and
about a gill of the fluid is collected from one incision
in the course of the day. It is caught in small cups
of clay, moulded for the purpose with the hand. These
are emptied, when full, into a jar. No sooner is this
gum collected, than it is ready for immediate use.
Forms of various kinds, representing shoes, bottles,
toys, &c, are in readiness, made of clay.
When shoes are manufactured, it is a matter of eco
nomy to have wooden lasts. These are first coated
with clay, so as to be easily withdrawn. A handle is
affixed to the last for the convenience of working.
The fluid is poured over the form, and a thin coating
immediately adheres to the clay. The next movement
is to expose the gum to the action of smoke. The
substance ignited for this purpose is the fruit of the
wassou palm. This fumigation serves the double pur
pose of drying the gum, and of giving it a darker color.
When one coating is sufficiently hardened, another is
added, and smoked in turn. Thus any thickness can
be produced. It is seldom that a shoe receives more
than a dozen coats. The work, when formed, is ex
posed to the sun. For a day or two it remains soft

MANUFACTURE OF SHOES.

283

MANUFACTURE OF INDIA RUBBER SHOES.

enough to receive permanent impressions. During
this time the shoes are figured according to the fancy of
the operatives, by the use of a style or pointed stick.
They retain their yellowish color for some time after
the lasts are taken out and they are considered ready
for market. Indeed they are usually sold when the
gum is so fresh, that the pieces require to be kept
apart ; hence, pairs of shoes are generally tied together
and suspended on long poles. They may be seen daily
at Para, suspended over the decks of the canoes that
come down the river, and on the shoulders of the men
who deliver them to the merchants. Those who buy
the shoes for exportation, commonly stuff them witfc
dried grass, to preserve their extension. Various per-

284 MASSARANDUBA.
sons living in the suburbs of Para, collect the caoutchouc
and manufacture it on a small scale. But it is from
plantations devoted to the business, that the market is
chiefly supplied. The gum may be gathered during
the entire year, but it is more easily collected, and
more serviceable, during the dry season. The months
of May, June, July, and August, are specially devQted
to its preparation. Besides great quantities of this
substance which leave Para in other forms, there have
been exported for some years past about three hundred
thousand pairs of gum elastic shoes annually. The
Amazonian region now supplies, and probably will long
continue to supply, in a great degree, the present and
the rapidly increasing demand for this material. Seve
ral other trees, most of them belonging to the tribe
euphorbiacia?, produce a similar gum, but none of
them is likely to enter into competition with the India
rubber tree of Para.
Another tree, not uncommon in the province, called
;he massaranduba, yields a white secretion, which so
resembles milk that it is much prized for an aliment.
It forms when coagulated a species of plaster, which
is deemed valuable. The trees yield the fluid in great
profusion. Their botanical character has never been
properly investigated. It is to be presumed that there
is a close affinity between the massaranduba of Para,
the cow tree of Demerara, and the butter tree of
Africa, if indeed they do not all belong to the same
species. It may be remarked, that the juice of the
India-rubber tree is also sometimes used as milk. The
negroes and Indians, who work in its preparation, are
said to be fond of drinking it.
The annato, or urucu, is another valuable produc-

VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. 285
tion of Para. This is a well-known coloring matter,
of an orange dye. It is a product of the tree known
to botanists as the bixa orellana. This tree grows
ordinarily about the size and form of the quince tree,
and exhibits clusters of red and white flowers. Its
coloring matter was extensively used by the aborigi
nals at the period of discovery. By means of it they
formed various kinds of paint, and were fond of be
smearing the whole surface of their bodies with it.
The preparation used in commerce is the oily pulp
of the seed, which is rubbed off and then left to fer
ment. After fermentation it is rolled into cakes,
weighing from two to three pounds, and in this form
is exported. The cocoa-nut is rarely, if ever, pro
duced at Para. Cacao, the substance from which
chocolate is prepared, is a common and valuable pro
duction of Para. It is made from the seeds of the
theobroma cacao.
It is not generally known that the triangular fruit,
called in England and the United States the Brazil-
nut, is only produced in the northern parts of the em
pire. It grows spontaneously in great abundance in
the forests of the Amazon. The Portuguese call it
"Castanha do Maranham," — the Maranham chestnut,
it having first been exported from that province. It
grows upon the lofty branches of a giant tree, the
bertholletia excelsa. When the fruit is new, and not
hardened by age, it is much more delicious than after
ward. It would be an interesting, although an almost end
less task, to investigate the botany of the Amazon.
Laurels are yet to be won in this field of science ; and
it must be set down as by no means complimentary to

286 VARIOUS SPECIES OF FISH.
American botanists, that they have not entered it as
competitors. I often heard of Burchell as having
resided some time at Para, but I apprehend that he
was, at the period of his visit, too far advanced in
years to do full justice either to his own reputation or
to the interminable field here spread before him.
The waters of the great river are scarcely less pro
ductive than the soil of its banks. Innumerable species
of fish, and amphibious animals, abound in it. Several
large kinds of fish are salted and dried for use. But
the commerce in this article of food does not extend
beyond the coast. Owing to the style of preparation,
or to the coarse quality of the fish, foreigners set no
value upon it. The most remarkable inhabitant of
these waters is the vaca marina, commonly called by
the Portuguese peixe bed, or fish ox. This name is
evidently given on account of the animal's size, rather
than from any resemblance to the ox or cow, other
than its being mammiferous.

VACA MARINA

VACA MARINA. 287
The vaca marina cannot be called amphibious, since
it never leaves the water. It feeds principally upon a
water plant (cana brava) that floats on the borders of
the stream. It often raises its head above the water
to respire, as well as to feed upon this vegetable. At
these moments it is attacked and captured. It has only
two fins, which are small, and situated near its head.
The udders of the female are beneath these fins. This
has been pronounced the largest fish inhabiting fresh
water ; but notwithstanding its mammoth dimensions,
being sometimes seventeen feet long, and two or three
feet thick at the widest part, and in fact the largest
known inhabitant of fresh water, its eyes are extremely
small, and the orifices of its ears are scarcely larger
than a pin-head. Its skin is very thick and hard — not
easily penetrated by a musket ball. The Indians used
to make shields of it for their defence in war. Its fat
and flesh have always been in estimation. It served
the natives in place of beef. Not having salt for the
purpose, they used to preserve the flesh by means of
smoke. For seasoning they used the ashes of a species
of palm.
The turtle-egg butter of Amazonia (manteiga da
tartaruga) is a substance quite peculiar to this quarter
of the globe. At certain seasons of the year the tur
tles appear by thousands on the banks of the rivers, in
order to deposit their eggs upon the sand. The noise
of their shells striking against each other in the rush,
is said to be sometimes heard at a great distance.
Their work commences at dusk, and ends with the
following dawn, when they retire to the water. Their
task is continued until each turtle has deposited from
sixty to one hundred and forty eggs.

288 TURTLE-EGG BUTTER.
During the day-time the inhabitants collect these
eggs, and pile them up in heaps resembling the stacks
of cannon-balls seen at a navy-yard. These heaps are
often twenty feet in diameter, and of a corresponding
height. While yet fresh they are thrown into wooden
canoes, or other large vessels, and broken with sticks,
and stamped fine with the feet. Water is then poured
on, and the whole is exposed to the rays of the sun.
The heat brings the oily matter of the eggs to the sur
face, from which it is skimmed off with cuyas and
shells. After this it is subjected to a moderate heat,
until ready for use. When clarified, it has the ap
pearance of butter that has been melted. It always
retains the taste of fish oil, but is much prized for
seasoning by the Indians and those who are accus
tomed to its use. It is conveyed to market in earthen
jars. In earlier times it was estimated that nearly
two hundred and fifty millions of turtles' eggs were
annually destroyed in the manufacture of this man-
teiga. Recently the number is less, owing to the gra
dual inroads made upon the turtle race, and also to
the advance of civilization.
Without dwelling longer upon the novelties of the
business world at Para, I will set before the reader an
account of the religious establishment and customs of
the place. The city is divided into two parishes, and
contains in all eleven churches and chapels. There
are two convents, one belonging to the slippered Car
melites, occupied by three friars and two novices ; the
other belongs to the Capuchins of the order of St. An
thony, and has only two friars. The old college of
the Jesuits forms a residence for the bishop, and the
seat of his ecclesiastical seminary. The old convent

CATHEDRAL. 289
of S. Boa Ventura is converted into a marine arsenal,
and the extensive monastery of the mercenaries fur
nishes apartments for both the military arsenal and
the custom-house. No monks of either of these
orders are left to sigh over the desecration of their
costly tenements. What a comment on their mis
taken zeal ! What an instance of the fatality that ul
timately overtakes ostentatious pietism! The money
and the time expended in the erection of the five
monasteries in Para, which are now confessedly use
less, except so far as they are appropriated to secular
use, would probably have been enough to furnish the
Holy Scriptures to the numerous tribes of the Amazon.
The cathedral of Para is the largest church edifice
in the empire. It was commenced in 1720, on the
Separation of the diocese from that of Maranham, and
was designed to be, according to the wish of the king
of Portugal, " second to none beyond the waters of
the Tagus." Having been duly completed, it was con
secrated in 1775 by the new bishop, assisted by the
" monks, magnates, and people."
Its external appearance resembles the Candellaria
of Rio de Janeiro. From its towers a splendid view
of the city and surrounding country may be enjoyed.
Within, it is constructed after the usual model of the
Brazilian Catholic churches, having thirteen different
altars before which mass is said. Three of these are
sacred to the Virgin Mary, in honor of whom massive
silver lamps are kept constantly lighted, while the
other poor saints are left to the common mercy of
daylight. One feature in the style of ornament used in
this church deserves particular mention. It is the
Vol. II.— 37 Z

290 PAINTINGS VS. IMAGES.
general use of paintings over the several altars, to the
exclusion of images. The execution of the paint
ings, moreover, is superior to that witnessed in most
attempts at the art, which the traveler will see in dif
ferent parts of the empire. Even though it were indif
ferent, a person can behold with more complacency
the essays of an artist, than the poor creations of an
image-maker. As to statuary, there is not the least
pretension to it among the thousands of images which
are adored in the churches, and paraded in proces
sions. Whether constructed of wood, wax, or alabas
ter, there is generally a coarseness in their appearance
which is repulsive, and a haggardliness of features
which the tinseled apparel, and gaudy ornaments, so
profusely used, do but little to relieve. The obvious
intent of this expression of countenance is to be affect
ing — and surely that end is answered, for no person of
taste can behold many of the images in question with
out having his sensibilities most painfully affected.
Indeed, it is hardly possible to disassociate from many
of these objects the idea of sheer profanity, specially
in the pretended images of the Saviour. True, many
of the subjects are melancholy in themselves — for exam
ple, those relating to the crucifixion — but even these
furnish no apology for caricatures of grief and agony.
That person must possess a singular constitution of
mind, whose devotional feelings would be elevated by
the sight of images, having at the most only a forced
and arbitrary association with any sacred object, or
whose piety would languish for lack of such appeals to
his senses. What do the image-makers know respect
ing the characters whose names they place upon their
work? How can any sentiment of pure religion be

291
excited by the products of their crude imaginations,
and their barbarous handicraft?
Although the use of paintings over the altars of
churches amounts to nearly Ihe same thing in a reli
gious point of view, yet, as it respects decency and
taste, it is a decided improvement. This substitution
prevails more generally at Para than any where else
in Brazil; and an instance is not lacking, calculated
to show the absurdity and extravagance to which even
this practice leads. In the church of Espirito Santo,
over the principal altar, there is an attempt to repre
sent the Deity upon canvas. The very idea is shock
ing to those accustomed to worship God in spirit and
in truth, and the execution is nearly in keeping with
that idea. The Father is represented as a very old
man, dressed in a monkish gown, with a figure of the
Son on his right, bearing a cross. Both are repre
sented as sitting, while the form of a dove is descend
ing between them.
In the same church I saw an image called Nossa
Senhora do Rozario, with a manuscript attached to it,
stating that the bishop had conceded to all who, after
the act of contrition, should pray before said image, a
Salve Rainha, making petitions for the prosperity of the
church, and the extirpation of heresies, not less than
forty years' indulgence. A document in the chapel of
the Carmelites offers also, on the authority of the
bishop, forty years' indulgence to all contrite persons,
who, at any day or hour, shall pray in that church
three Ave Marias and three Salve Rainhas.
Most of the churches of Para, are built, like the ca
thedral, after the form of the Latin cross. That of
Santa Anna, in the eastern part of the city, is after

292 ANNUAL FESTIVITIES.
the form of the Greek cross. It has three altars at
the extremities of the cross, the door standing at
the foot, with the orchestra placed above it, and sus
tained on large columns: A skylight, on the pinna
cle of a large dome towering up in the center, admits
the rays of the sun with fine effect, but not to the
exclusion of candles in the day time. This church
exhibits not only paintings and images, but even figures
in fresco. Its door, like that of many other churches,
is plentifully hung with bentinhos, beads, crosses, and
miniature images, which, having been blessed, or
sprinkled with holy water, are worn upon the persons
of those to whom they belong. They are often sus
pended to the necks of children, and supposed by
many to act as charms in keeping off various evils. It
is the custom, when one of these articles is found, to
hang it upon the door of the church, where the person
who lost it may find his own.
The great, religious festival of Para is called the
Festa de Nossa Senhora de Nazareth. It is a mov
able feast, occurring either in September or October,
and always arranged to commence with the new moon,
so that fine evenings may be expected for nine or ten
days following. The following is the origin of this
feast, according to Baena, author of the Eras do Para.
" In 1774, a hermitage was erected on the road to
Utinga, and consecrated to our Lady of Nazareth.
This hermitage is located seven hundred and ninety-
two yards east of the Largo da Polvora, on the spot
where a mulatto, called Placido, used to live. He was
the sole inhabitant of the place, and used to worship
in his thatched cabin an image of the Lady of the
above-named invocation. This he kept in a rude case,

A FESTIVAL DECREED. 293
(armario,) and on a certain day of each week certain
devout persons used to assemble and pray before it,
bringing their offerings of wax and candles. After
the mulatto's death, the image passed into the keep
ing of one Antonio Augostinho, who stirred up the
zeal of certain devout persons to erect the aforemen
tioned hermitage. A handsome square of ground was,
at the same time, set apart for its occupancy.
" On the 3d of July, 1793, Souza Coutinho, the
twenty-fifth captain-general of the Gran Parii and
Rio Negro, decreed that there should annually be held
on this spot a general festival in honor of our Lady
of Nazareth. The brotherhood of the church was in
structed thenceforward to solemnize the occasion with
a novena, a chanted mass, and a procession. The
image should be deposited in the chapel of the govern
ment palace, on the eve of the first day of the novena,
so as on the following day to be conveyed, in public
procession, to the church."
Such an institution accorded too well with the reli
gious genius of the people, not to be zealously observed
and handed down to their children. The anniversary
occurred during my residence in the city, and I con
sequently had the opportunity of observing as much of
it as I had any inclination to see. Preparations were
made on an extensive scale some time in advance of
the festa. The road leading from the city to the
church extends most of the way through a forest, and
requires every year to be cleaned of its shrubbery afresh.
The church stands at one corner of the square men
tioned above. This square is the only cleared ground
in the neighborhood. As in the road, the surface of
z2

294 THE PROCESSION.
this opening needs to have the weeds and brushwood
annually cleared off. Parts of it are generally burned
over. Around the area, barracas, a species of board
tents, are constructed, for the accommodation of famij
lies who wish to remove to the spot during these holi
days. Towards evening of the day fixed upon for
opening the festivities, a long procession, bearing the
image, moved slowly out of the city towards the her
mitage, or church in the woods.
First preceded a company of outriders, military
officers, and citizens on horseback; then followed a
cart, called the car of triumph, drawn by two oxen,
and surmounted by large fantastic frame-work, cover
ed with painted cloth. Within the vehicle was a knot
of boys, whose dignified office it was to edify the mul
titude by firing off rockets, of which they had a large
supply. Next came a band of martial music, and a company
of cavalry with drawn swords. .The civil escort was
now in order. It consisted of some twenty-five per
sons on horseback, and eight or ten carriages, which
were understood to be nearly all the city could muster.
Finally came the president of the province, in full uni
form, and after him a sege, bearing a single priest,
with the image of Nossa Senhora in his lap. It was
not more than two feet high, but was dressed out with
a great array of finery. Several foot companies of
military closed up the procession, while hundreds of
people thronged around as spectators. The chief
peculiarity that I observed in the crowd, as compared
with collections of people seen in other cities of Brazil,
was the unusual number of females, of different shades

THE CROWD. 295
of color, between black and yellow, who were gaily
dressed, and ornamented with gold and jewelry in the
greatest profusion. Many of these females carried
trays of sugar toys upon their heads, and little stools
in their hands, upon which they occasionally sat down
to vend their commodities.
The people were generally quite well dressed, and
very orderly in their appearance. The image once
deposited in the church the novena commenced, and
was continued on the eight successive evenings. This
was the chief religious exercise of the occasion, It
was enlivened by the performances of a band of instru
mental music, being, as one would expect, preceded
and followed by a deafening discharge of sky-rockets.
Masses of people crowd around the church during this
service, and join in singing the litany to the saints and
the Virgin. They afterward disperse, and stroll about
the grounds, or resort to parties, balls, and gaming
clubs. I was sorry to observe that of all the other
amusements, gaming seemed to attract most attention,
and excite most interest.
On the splendid moonlight nights of the season the
city would be nearly emptied of people, and multitudes,
todo o mundo, would crowd to the Nazareth feast.
How few of them all had any proper idea of the cha
racter of Him who came out of Nazareth to take away
the sins of his people !
The church on this spot was quite small, and con
structed so much like a dwelling-house as to have a
double veranda, above and below, on three of its sides.
In the upper veranda hung the hammocks of the sol
diers on guard. In front stood a species of alpendre,

296 WORSHIP OF THE IMAGE.
or rancho, with a tiled roof. Within the mass-house
were two altars — that surmounted by the image borne
in the procession stood on the right, and was unusually
elevated. One would have supposed that this image
came from France, for its tout ensemble reminded the
beholder of toy-shop dolls of the largest size. Two
wide ribbons, one green and the other red, extended
from the dress over the altar, and hung down towards
the floor. Hundreds of people crowded around to
enjoy, in turn, the privilege of kneeling down and kiss
ing these ribbons! On the opposite wall hung a col
lection of plaster forms, representing all manner of
ulcerated limbs and diseased members, that were said
to have been miraculously cured by our Lady. Near
these hung a rude painting, designed to show an appa
rition of said Lady to a sick person, who, of course,
recovered. Lest this event should not be compre
hended it was explained in the vulgar tongue — Milagre
que fez Nossa Senhora de Nazare!
How changed in appearance was this whole scene
when visited in the morning at early dawn. The
crowd had disappeared. Here and there an individual
might be seen sleeping on the ground — others were
taking rest in their unopened barracas. No romance
of moonbeams, or glimmering tapers, now lend en
chantment to the half-defined objects that address the
sight. The artificial decorations so profusely displayed,
are now seen in their true colors. Hangings of mat
ting, of muslin, and of calico, together with national
and signal flags, are suspended around the barracas,
and occasionally seen elevated on poles, but every
thing is lifeless and dull, indicating the results that

RESULTS. 297
might be expected to follow the stupid amusements
and general debauch of the preceding night. I often
observed that the stars and stripes of the United States
seemed to be a favorite ornament on such occasions as
this, and here a single establishment displayed two
United States' flags.
General reflections upon the character and tendency
of such a scene of festivities, so absorbing to a whole
community, and so long continued, seem unnecessary.
If it had no religious pretensions it would be less ex
ceptionable. But for a people to be made to think
themselves doing God's service, while mingling in such
amusements and follies, is painfully lamentable.
The whole feast, indeed, passed off without any
public disorder. But who was the wiser, the better,
or the happier for it? It would not have been difficult
to find those who were more debauched, and more
miserable; and it was melancholy to reflect that many
might have there commenced a career of gambling, of
prostitution, or .of some other vice, which would end in
their utter ruin. While these results could hardly fail to
occur, nothing like a sermon was delivered during the
whole ten days, or any effort made to instruct or mo
ralize the community.
The evening and morning scenes that may be en
joyed at Para are indescribably beautiful. At night
all is still, save the occasional rustling of a balmy
breeze ; and the imagination must be vivid that can
picture to itself more loveliness than is exhibited when
the moon walks forth in her splendor. The dark luxu
riant foliage, crowning hundreds of spreading trees,
is burnished with a mellow lustre too exquisite for
Vol. II.— 38

298 EVENING AND MORNING.
words to portray; while the waving plumes of numer
ous palm trees, glancing their reflections downward
upon the beholder, add to the charms of the scenery.
The opening blossoms of many fruit trees and humbler
flowers, load the air with a fragrance which is none
the less grateful from not being mingled, as in some
of the larger and more city-like towns, with offensive
effluvia. The blandness of the evening air is in de
lightful contrast to the rigors of the noonday sun, and
an occasional breeze invigorates the system, after either
the confinement or the exposure of the day. Although
in the course of the night there falls a copious dew,
yet so balmy and healthful is the atmosphere, that there
is no dread of exposing to it the most delicate consti
tution. This is the climate that of all others I would
seek as a relief to enfeebled health, and especially for
pectoral affections.
A morning scene is scarcely inferior in effect. I
sometimes went out to enjoy it long before the mild
radiance of the moon was lost in the more powerful
beams of the king of day, who, at his appointed time,
rose through a brief twilight, and hastened on his ef
fulgent course through the cloudless ether. The Bra
zilians are generally early risers, and it may be
remarked, that in their towns generally, the foreign
houses are those latest opened for business. Never
theless, there are few who walk abroad for the plea
sure or exercise of walking. Almost the only persons
met in my morning walks at Para where the negroes
and Indians, in countless numbers, going with earthen
jars upon their heads for water.
There is no artificial fountain in the whole city.

WATER CARRIERS. 299
The only source of drinking water is a spring on the
eastern side of the town. Jars of this water are some
times carried around on horseback for sale, to accom
modate those who do not keep a large supply of
servants. A few wells in the suburbs, together with
the current of the river, furnish water for washing, and
similar purposes.

300 AMAZONIA.

CHAPTER XVII.
Amazonia. — Its Discovery. — El Dorado. — Gongalo Pizarro. — His Ex
pedition. — Cruelties. — Sufferings. — Desertion of Orellana. — His De
scent of the River. — Fable of the Amazons. — Fate of the Adven
turer. — Name of the River. — Settlement of the Country. — Successive
Expeditions up and down the Amazon. — Sufferings of Madame
Godin. — Present State. — Steam Navigation. — History. — Revolution
of 1823.— Prison Ship.— Disorders of 1835.— Result of Early Cruel
ties. — Religion and Education. — The Bible in Para.
We shall now enter upon some notices of Amazonia,
as the interior of the great province of Para, is often
appropriately called. No portion of the earth involves
a greater degree of physical interest. Its central po
sition upon the equator, its vast extent, its unlimited
resources, its mammoth rivers, and the romance that
still lingers in its name and history, are all peculiar.
Three hundred years have elapsed since this region
was discovered, but down to the present day two-thirds
of it remain uncivilized, and almost unexplored.
Indeed, few persons save the Indians, and the slave
hunters who once pursued them, have even penetrated
its remote sections, or seen any parts of it, save the
banks of navigable rivers. The circumstances of its
discovery will ever be considered remarkable. It was
about the middle of the sixteenth century when the
fable of El Dorado filled the public mind of Europe.
The existence of a new world was then fully demon
strated, and the leaven of desire for its undeveloped
treasures had spread from court to camp, from princes
to beggars, until the whole mass of society was in a

G0NZAL0 PIZARRO. 301
ferment. Avarice, personified under the garb of ad
venture, bestrode the ocean. Scarcely did her footsteps
touch the shores of the new world, ere they were bathed
in blood. She did not pause to complete her work of
desolation in the fair islands of the Caribbean, until
after she had disturbed the sacra penetralia of the con
tinent. She caused the din of arms to resound in
primeval forests and aboriginal cities. She scaled the
Cordilleras, and laid waste savannahs upon both the
Atlantic and the Pacific shores.
Among the blood-thirsty and cruel men who stood
forth as leaders in the work of conquest and plunder,
Gonzalo Pizarro, the brother and associate of the
conqueror of Peru, was second to few if any. His
talents may have been less, but his daring and cruelty
were greater. In 1541 this adventurer set out from
Quito, with an army of three hundred soldiers, and
four thousand Indians to serve them as bearers of bur
dens, with the design of discovering the land of gold.
This was an imaginary kingdom, shaped out of the
half-comprehended tales of the persecuted Indians, and
exaggerated by the most extravagant fancies.
This fabulous kingdom received a name from the
fashion of its monarch, who was said, in order to wear
a more magnificent attire than any other potentate in
the world, to put on a daily coating of gold dust. His
body was anointed every morning with a costly and
fragrant gum, to which the gold dust adhered when
blown over him by a tube. In this barbaric attire the
Spaniards denominated him El Dorado, the Gilded
King. No fictions concerning this monarch or his
kingdom were too extravagant for credence. He was
generally located in the grand city of Manoa, in which
2A

302 HIS CRUELTIES.
no fewer than three thousand workmen were employed
in the silversmiths' street. The columns of his palace
were described as of porphyry and alabaster, the throne
was ivory, and the steps leading to it were of gold.
Others built the palace of white stone, and ornamented
it with golden suns, and moons of silver — while living
lions, fastened by chains of gold, guarded its entrance.
With day-dreams like these dancing before the minds
of commanders and soldiers, the army of Pizarro set
out, cherishing the highest anticipations.
In proceeding eastward from Quito, they were
obliged to cut their way through forests, to climb
mountains, and to contend with hostile tribes of Indians.
Every tribe with which they met was interrogated
about El Dorado, and when unable to give any intelli
gence of it, they were put to torture ; some were even
burnt alive, and others were torn to pieces by blood
hounds, which the Spaniards had trained to feed on
human flesh.
The effects of this dreadful cruelty returned upon
the heads of its perpetrators with a terrible vengeance.
As the tidings of their approach spread from tribe to
tribe, the poor natives learned to flatter their hopes
and send them along. The rains came on, and lasting
for months, rotted the garments from the bodies of the
soldiers, who could neither make nor find a shelter.
After they had climbed giddy precipices, from which
some of them fell and were dashed to pieces, they
had lo ford flooded plains, and wade through lagoons
and marshes. At length their provisions were ex
hausted, and they began to feed upon their dogs. The
sick multiplied, so that they were obliged to build a
brigantine in which to carry them. This was a hercu-

DESERTION OF ORELLANA. 303
lean task for soldiers to perform, especially without
the requisite implements. Before it was accomplished
they had to slaughter their horses for food. Their
troubles continued and even increased; still, with death
staring them in the face, Pizarro continued to seize
prisoners, and put them in irons when he supposed they
desired to escape. What an exhibition of cruelty as a
ruling passion ! When they at length stood upon the
banks of the river Napo, not less than one thousand
of the Peruvians had perished.
The commander now heard of a larger river into
which this emptied, and was told that the country sur
rounding the junction was fertile, and abounding in
provisions. He therefore determined to dispatch the
vessel with fifty men to procure supplies for the rest.
Francisco de Orellana, a knight of Truxillo, was put
in command of this expedition. The stream carried
them rapidly downward through an uninhabited and
desert country. When they had descended about
three hundred miles, the question was started whether
they should not abandon the idea of returning. They
had not found food sufficient for themselves, and how
could they succor the army ? Besides, how could they
ascend against the current in their enfeebled state ? It
would only be to perish with the rest. They might as
well continue their descent, for "rivers to the ocean
run," and there was some chance that they might in
this way not only save their lives, but also immortalize
their names by new discoveries. Orellana urged these
considerations with so much plausibility, that all con
sented save two, a Dominican friar and a young knight
of Badajoz, who contended against the plan as treache
rous and cruel. Orellana disposed of this objection by

304 DESCENT OF THE RIVER.
setting the knight on shore, to perish or return to the
army as he best could. The friar became an easy con
vert to the new scheme, and thenceforward took a
prominent part in it. Orellana renounced the commis
sion he had received from Pizarro, and received an
election from his men as their commander, so that
he might make discoveries in his own name, and not
under delegated authority in the name of another.
It was on the last day of December, 1541, that this
adventurous voyage was commenced, after mass had
been said by the Dominican. Their prospects were
gloomy enough. Their stock of provisions was wholly
exhausted, and they were forced to boil the soles of
their shoes and their leathern girdles, in hope of deriv
ing nourishment from them. At the end of eight days,
when they had nearly given up every hope of life, they
were joyfully surprised by hearing the tap of an Indian
drum. They soon discovered a village, surrounded
with Indians prepared to defend it. The Spaniards
were too hungry to negotiate. Impelled by the despe
ration of famine, they attacked and routed the Indians,
finding at the same time what they most desired, a sup
ply of food. While they tarried to enjoy the fruits of
their victory, the Indians returned, and found them in
a more peaceful mood. Orellana received them cour
teously, and having obtained their consent to.what they
knew nothing about, amused them with the ceremony
of taking possession of the country for the crown of
Castile. It was now necessary to build a better vessel. This
being accomplished with great difficulty and delay, they
resumed their voyage. Sometimes they met with a
kind reception from the Indians, but more generally

THE AMAZONS. 305
they had to fight their way with great losses, and im
minent danger of complete destruction.
It was in the month of June that, during: a battle
with a hostile tribe, they discovered what they reported
to be Amazons. Friar Gaspar, the Dominican, affirms
that ten or twelve of these women fought at the head
of the tribe which was subject to their authority. He
described them as very tall and large limbed, having
a white complexion, and long hair platted and banded
around their head. Their only article of dress was a
cincture, but they were armed with bows and arrows.
The men fought desperately, because, if they deserted,
they would be beaten to death by these female tyrants ;
but when the Spaniards had slain some seven or eight
of these latter, the Indians fled. These stories are
generally believed to have been deliberate falsehoods,
fabricated with the idea of giving consequence to the
voyage. The existence, however, of a powerful tribe
of Amazons in that portion of South America, was a
subject of deliberate inquiry and grave discussion for
at least two centuries. Condamine and others favored
the opinion that there had been such a people, of which
some remnants remained till about the time of Ore
llana, soon after which, they became extinct by amal
gamation with surrounding tribes ; but it is very evident
to one who scans the testimony on these points, that
vague traditions and unsupported conjectures form the
principal basis of these opinions. The Spanish histo
rian Herrera has given detailed accounts of the adven
tures of Orellana, compiled from his own statements,
endorsed by his veracious chronicler Friar Gaspar.
They contain, however, but little authentic information.
That which otherwise might be depended upon, is
Vol. II.— 39 2 a 2

306 FATE OF THE ADVENTURER.
rendered doubtful by the absurdities with which it is
mingled. In the course of seven months they reached the
ocean. After some repairs made upon their vessels,
they sailed out of the great river during the month of
August. Fortunately for them, the weather was very
mild. They endeavored to keep along at a safe dis
tance from the northern coast, not knowing where they
were. Finally, on the 11th of September, they made
the island of Cubagua. Orellana proceeded thence
to Spain, to give an account of his discoveries in
person. The excuse he presented for deserting Pizarro was
accepted ; and on solicitation, he received a grant of the
conquest of the regions he had discovered. He had but
little difficulty in raising funds or enlisting adventurers
for his expedition. It however proved disastrous.
His fleet arrived out in 1544; but amid the labyrinth
of channels at the mouth of the river, it was impossible
to find the main branch. After a month or two spent
in beating about, without being able to ascend the river
or to accomplish any important object, Orellana suc
cumbed to his misfortunes, and, like many of his men,
sickened and died.
Mr. Southey says, that "as a discoverer, he surpass
ed any of his countrymen; and if, as a conqueror, he
was unfortunate, it is now the happier for him, having
never had the opportunity of committing those atroci
ties which blackened the characters of many of his
contemporaries." Mr. Southey, indeed, had so much
respect for his memory, that he made an effort in his
history to restore the name of Orellana to the great
river. He discarded Maranon, as having too much

NAME OF THE RIVER. 307
resemblance to Maranham;* and Amazon, as being
founded upon fiction, and at the same time inconve
nient. Accordingly, in his map, and in all his refer
ences to the great river, he denominates it Orellana.
This decision of the poet laureate of Great Britain
has not proved authoritative in Brazil. O Amazonas
is the universal appellation of the great river among
those who float upon its waters, and who live upon its
banks. Hence, we also prefer to call it the Amazon,
having no especial sympathy for the adventurer who,
in order to give eclat to his discoveries, invents a fable
that ultimately throws his name quite into the shade.
Para, the aboriginal name of this river, was more
appropriate than any other. It signifies the Father of
waters. This name, as the reader is aware, is now
applied to the province through which that river runs,
and to its capital. The term Para river also designates
the southern, in opposition to the northern principal
mouth of the Amazon.
About seventy years after the events above narrated,
the Portuguese began to settle in Para, advancing from
Maranham. In 1616, Francisco Caldeira, the first
chief captain, laid the foundations of the present city
of Para, under the protection of Nossa Senhora de Be-
lem. In 1637, another party descended the Amazon
from Quito. It was composed of two Franciscan friars
and six soldiers, who had been sent on a mission to the
Indians upon the frontiers of Peru. The mission prov
ed unsuccessful. Some of the missionaries grew weary
and returned; others persisted, until the savages
* Both words have evidently a common origin, being derived from
the Portuguese mare the sea, and nao not, not the sea, as a great river
near its mouth appears to be.

308 EXPEDITION TO O.UITO.
attacked and murdered the commander of their escort
of soldiers, when all dispersed. Those who were dis
heartened at the prospect of the dreadful journey back
to Quito, committed themselves to the waters, as Ore
llana had done nearly a century before. They reached
Belem in safety, but so stupefied with fear as to be
unable to give any satisfactory account of what they
had seen. It was enough for them to have escaped
from the horrid cannibals, through whose midst they
had passed.
In the same year, the first expedition for the ascent
of the Amazon was organized. It was commanded by
Pedro Teixeira, and was composed of seventy soldiers,
twelve hundred native rowers and bowmen, besides
females and slaves, who increased the number to about
two thousand. They embarked in forty-five canoes.
The strength of the opposing current, and the difficulty
of finding their course amid the labyrinthian channels
of the river, rendered their enterprise one of unparal
leled toil. Many of the Indians deserted, and nothing
but unwearied perseverance and great tact, enabled
Teixeira to keep the rest. After a voyage of eight
months, he reached the extent of navigation. Leaving
most of his men with his canoes at this place, he con
tinued his journey overland to Quito, where he was
received with distinguished honors. He was accom
panied on his return by several friars, whose business
it was to record the incidents and observations of the
voyage. A considerable amount of authentic informa
tion was thus collected and published to the world.
The party reached Belem in December, 1739, amid
great rejoicings. After this, voyages upon the Ama
zon became more common.

MADAME GODIN. 309
In 1745, M. La Condamine, a French academician,
descended from Quito, and constructed a map of the
river, based upon a series of astronomical observations.
His memoir, read before the Royal Academy on his
return, remains to this day a very interesting work.
In modern times, the most celebrated voyages down
the Amazon have been described at length by those
who accomplished them, e. g. Spix and Martius, Lis
ter Mawe, and Lieutenant Smyth.
The expeditions to which I have alluded, have gene
rally been prosperous, and not attended with any pecu
liar misfortunes. Not so with every voyage that has
been undertaken upon these interminable waters. The
sufferings of Madame Godin des Odonnais, have hardly
a parallel on record. The husband of this lady was
an astronomer, associated with M. Condamine. He
had taken his family with him to reside in Quito, but
being ordered to Cayenne, was obliged to leave them
behind. Circumstances transpired to prevent his re
turning for a period of sixteen years, and when finally
he made the attempt to ascend the Amazon, he was
taken sick and could not proceed. All messages that
he attempted to send his absent wife, failed of their
destination. In the meantime a rumor reached her,
that an expedition had been dispatched to meet her at
some of the missions on the upper Amazon. She im
mediately resolved to set out on the perilous journey.
She was accompanied by her family, including three
females, two children, and two or three men, one of
whom was her brother. They surmounted the Andes
and passed down the tributary streams of the Amazon
without serious difficulties; but the farther they enter
ed into the measureless solitudes that lay before them,

310 HER SUFFERINGS.
the more their troubles increased. The missions were
found in a state of desolation, under the ravages of
the small-pox. The village where they expected to
find Indians to conduct them down the river, had but
two inhabitants surviving : these poor creatures could
not aid them, and they were left without guides or
canoe-men. Ignorant of navigation, and unaccus
tomed to either toil or danger, their misery was now
beyond description. Their canoe, in drifting on the
current, filled with water, and they barely escaped with
life and a few provisions. They managed to construct
a raft, but this was soon torn to pieces upon a snag.
The forlorn company again escape to the shore, and,
as their only alternative, attempt to make their way
on foot. Without map or compass, they know not
whither they go. In attempting to follow the windings
of the stream they become bewildered, and finally
plunge into the depths of the forest. Wild fruits and
succulent plants now furnish them their only food.
Weakened by hunger, they soon fall victims to disease.
In a few days Madame Godin, the sole survivor, stood
surrounded by eight dead bodies ! Imagine the horror
that overwhelmed her, as she saw one after another of
her friends and family in the agonies of death ! In the
desperation of the hour she attempted to bury them, but
found it impossible. After two days spent in mourn
ing over the dead, she roused up with a determination
to make another effort to seek her long-lost husband.
She was now nearly three thousand miles from the
ocean, without food, and with her delicate feet lacerated
by thorns. Taking the shoes of one of the dead men,
she started upon her dreary way. What phantoms
now torture her imagination, and people the wilder-

PRESENT STATE. 311
ness with frightful monsters ! But she wanders on. —
Days of wretchedness and nights of horror ensue. — At
length, on the ninth day, she heard the noise of a canoe,
and running to the river side, she was taken up by a
party of Indians. Suffice it to say, that they conducted
her to one of the missions, from which, after long de
lays and great exposure, she was finally conveyed down
the Amazon and restored to her husband, after nine
teen years' separation. They returned to France to
gether and spent the remnant of their days in retire
ment ; but Madame G. never fully recovered from the
effects of her fright and sufferings.
Even at this day, the traveler upon the waters of
the Amazon, above Para, finds himself in a perfectly
wild and uncultivated region. He will scarcely see
fifty houses in three hundred miles. There are but
few settlements directly on the river. Most of the
villages are on the tributary streams and Iguarapes,
or bayous. The houses universally have mud floors
and thatched roofs. I saw a fellow-countryman at
Para, who had visited Brazil for his health, and having
to a great degree recovered, he was induced to make
a voyage up the great river. The best vessel in
which he could procure a passage was a miserable
trading smack. The inconveniences he suffered on
board, together with the lack of fresh provisions and
suitable accommodations when he went on shore,
brought upon him a renewed and aggravated attack
of disease. He was fortunate enough to obtain a pas
sage down in a Brazilian war-schooner ; but he only
survived a few months.
Notwithstanding all the beautiful theories respecting
steam navigation on the waters of the Amazon and its

312 STEAM NAVIGATION.
tributaries, nothing has yet been accomplished deserv
ing of mention. As far back as the year 1827, an as
sociation, called the South American Steamboat Com
pany, was organized in New York, with the express
design of promoting that navigation. It owed its ori
gin to the suggestion of the Brazilian government
through its charge d'affaires, Mr. Rebello, resident in
the United States, who stipulated decided encourage
ments, and the grant of special privileges on the part
of His Majesty Don Pedro I. A steamboat was fitted
out and sent to Para, and other heavy expenses were
incurred by the Company; but through a lack of co
operation on the part of Brazil, the whole enterprise
proved a failure. Claims for indemnification to a large
amount have long been pending before the Brazilian
government, with but little prospect of success.
Within a year or two past, small government steam
ers have two or three times been sent up the Amazon
as far as the river Negro. Such voyages will doubt
less be repeated at intervals, and they will probably
suffice for steam navigation on the Amazon for many
years to come. The globe does not elsewhere present
such a splendid theatre for the steam enterprise. Not
only is the Amazon navigable for at least two thousand
miles, but the Tocantins, the Chingu, the Tapajos, the
Madeira, and the Negro, are unitedly navigable several
thousand more.
All these rivers flow through the richest soil and the
most luxurious vegetation in the world. But they all
seem destined to flow on for a long time to come with
out having their waters disturbed, unless it be accident
ally, by any other craft than the lumbering canoes that
now float upon their current. A denser, and a different

HISTORY. 313
population must overspread their banks, and lay open
their resources to the reach of commerce, before steam
navigation can be profitably sustained upon the Ama
zonian waters.
The general history of Para is somewhat peculiar to
itself. So far removed from the seat of both the colo
nial and the imperial government to which it has be
longed, its rulers have always had a great scope for
their authority, as well as their ambition. In no part
of Brazil have so great cruelties been practised against
the Indians ; and in no part have they been so v fear
fully revenged.
We have already mentioned, that the capital was
founded in 1616. On consulting the most voluminous
work extant upon the history of the province, we find
that the principal events recorded for the ensuing two
hundred years, are the arrivals of bishops, and the
erection of churches ; the arrival and expulsion of dif
ferent kinds of monks; together with the successive
changes of the captains and governors general.
In 1747, Brazilian coins of gold, silver, and copper,
were first introduced — the circulating medium having
consisted of balls of cotton and articles of domestic
goods ; being more complicated than the salt currency
of Piauhy.
In 1758, a commercial company was organized un
der the protection of the Portuguese government. On
its dissolution twenty years after, it was found to have
accomplished, among other things, the introduction of
twelve thousand five hundred and eighty-seven African
slaves. Twenty years after this, the duties were
thrown off of all slaves and slaving vessels that should
come to Para.
Vol. II.— 40 2 B

314 REVOLUTION OF 1823.
At the time of the revolution of independence, in
1823, Para, like most of the other provinces, was for
a time held by the Portuguese authorities. On the
arrival of Lord Cochrane at Maranham, he dispatched
one of his officers, Captain Grenfell, with a brig of war
to take possession of Para. This officer had recourse
to a stratagem which, although successful, was little
more creditable to his bravery than his integrity.
Having arrived near the city, he summoned the
place to surrender, asserting that Lord Cochrane was
at anchor below, and in case of opposition, would en
force his authority with a vengeance. Intimidated by
this threat, the city hastened to swear allegiance to the
throne of Don Pedro I., and Grenfell managed to have
obnoxious individuals expelled, before his deceit was
found out. Opposition, however, soon sprang up — a
party was organized, with the intent of deposing the
provincial junta. This body, of course, claimed the
protection of Grenfell. He immediately landed with
his men, and joining the troops of the authorities, easily
succeeded in quelling the insurrection. A large num
ber of prisoners were taken, and five ringleaders in
the revolt were shot in the public square. Thence re
turning on board, he received, the same evening, an
order from the president of the junta, to prepare a
vessel large enough to hold two hundred prisoners. A
ship of six hundred tons burden was accordingly se
lected. It afterwards appeared, that the number of
prisoners actually sent on board by the president was
two hundred and fifty-three. These men, in the ab
sence of Captain Grenfell, were forced into the hold of
the prison-ship, and placed under a guard of fifteen
Brazilian soldiers.

PRISON SHIP. 315
" Crowded until almost unable to breathe, and suf
fering alike from heat and thirst, the poor wretches
attempted to force their way on deck, but were re
pulsed by the guard, who, after firing upon them and
fastening down the hatchway, threw a piece of ord
nance across it, and effectually debarred all egress.
The stifling sensation caused by this exclusion of air
drove the suffering crowd to utter madness, and many
are said to have lacerated and mangled each other in
the most horrible manner. Suffocation, with all its
agonies, succeeded. The aged and the young, the
strong and feeble, the assailant and his antagonist, all
sank down exhausted and in the agonies of death. In
the hope of alleviating their sufferings, a stream of
water was at length directed into the hold, and towards
morning the tumult abated, but from a cause which
had not been anticipated. Of all the two hundred and
fifty-three, four only were found alive, who had escaped
destruction by concealing themselves behind a water-
butt." — Armitage, vol. ii. p. 108.
This dreadful scene is, perhaps, unparalleled in his
tory. Its only mitigation consisted in its having been
caused by carelessness and ignorance, without " intent
to kill." It has, however, but too much affinity with
the treatment of the prisoners taken and confined at
the same place, in the subsequent civil revolutions.
Vast numbers of these unhappy men were crowded
into the prison of the city and of the fort, where they
were kept, without hope of release, until death set
them free. Besides, a prison-ship, still moored in front
of the town, called the Xin Xin, was filled to its utmost
capacity. I heard it estimated that not less than three

316 DISORDERS OF 1835.
thousand had died on board that one vessel in the
course of five or six years.
The disorders that broke out at Para, in 1835,
were disastrous in the extreme. They first commenced
among the troops. The soldiers on guard at the pa
lace seized an opportunity favorable to their designs,
and on the 7th of January, simultaneously assassinated
the president of the province, the commander at arms,
and the port captain. A sergeant, by the name of
Gomez, now assumed the command, and commenced
an indiscriminate slaughter of the Portuguese resi
dents. After twenty or thirty reputable shopkeepers
had been killed, these insurgents proceeded to libe
rate about fifty prisoners, among whom was Felix
Antonio Clemento Malcher, an individual who had
been elected a member of the, provisional junta at the
time of Grenfell's invasion, but who was subsequently
arrested as the instigator of a rebellion at the Rio
Acara. This Malcher was now proclaimed president ;
and a declaration against receiving any president from
Rio, until the majority of Don Pedro II., was formally
made. No houses were broken open on this occasion. Or
der was soon restored, and things remained quiet till
the 19th of February. At this time Francisco Pedro
Vinagre, the new commander at arms, having heard
that he was to be arrested for some cause, called out
the soldiers and populace to attack the president.
Malcher shut himself up in the Castello fort, and at
tempted to defend himself. In the course of two or
three days two hundred men were killed, and the pre
sident captured. He was sent to the fort at the Barra,
below the city, as if to be imprisoned, but was mur-

THE PALACE ATTACKED. 317
dered on the way, undoubtedly by the orders of Vina-
gre, who was now supreme.
On the 12th of May an attempt was made, under
the constitutional vice-president, Senhor Correa, to
take possession of the town, by landing troops from a
squadron of thirteen vessels of war. This attempt was
repulsed, and the vessels dropped down the river.
Soon after a new president, Senhor Rodriguez, arri
ved from Rio. On the 24th of June he landed with a
body of two hundred and fifty troops, the insurgents
having retired towards the interior. Disorders still
continued in the province, and on the 14th of August
a body of Indians, led on by Vinagre and others, sud
denly descended upon the capital. They obtained
possession of the city, and commenced an indiscrimi
nate massacre of the whites. The citizens were
obliged to defend themselves as they best could. Vinagre
fell in the midst of a street skirmish. An English and
a French vessel of war, lying in the harbor, sent on
shore a body of marines, but soon withdrew them on
account of the pusillanimous conduct of the president.
The Indians commenced firing upon the palace from
the highest houses of which they could get possession,
and artillery from the palace attempted to return the
fire. The president, however, soon withdrew, and
abandoned the city to destruction. Many families suc
ceeded in escaping on board vessels in the harbor, but
many others fell victims to rapine and murder. Edu-
ardo, the principal leader after the death of Vinagre,
endeavored to protect the property of foreigners, and,
to some extent, succeeded; nevertheless, as fast as
possible the foreign residents withdrew from the city,
and thought themselves fortunate to escape with their
2b2

318 ANDREA PRESIDENT.
lives. The period that ensued might, with propriety,
be called the reign of terror. But it was not long a
quiet reign. Disorders broke out among the rebels,
and mutual assassinations became common. Business
was effectually broken up, and the city was as fast as
possible reverting back to a wilderness. Tall grass
grew up in the streets, and the houses rapidly decay
ed. The state of the entire province became similar.
Anarchy prevailed throughout its vast domains. Only
a single town, of the upper Amazon, maintained its
integrity to the empire. Lawlessness and violence be
came the order of the day. Plantations were burned,
the slaves and the cattle were killed, and in some
large districts not a white person was allowed to sur
vive. In May, of the following year, General Andrea
arrived as a new president from the imperial govern
ment, and forced his way into the capital. He pro
claimed martial law, and by means of great firmness
and severity, succeeded in restoring order to the pro
vince. It was, however, at the cost of much blood
and many lives. He was accused of tyranny and inhu
manity in his course towards the rebels and prisoners,
but the exigencies of the case were great, and fur
nished apologies. One of the most disgraceful things
charged upon him and his officers, was the abuse made
of their authority in plundering innocent citizens, and
also in voluntarily protracting the war so that their
selfish ends might be advanced. Certain it is, that the
waste of life, the ruin of property, and the declension
of morals, were all combined and lamentably con
tinued ; and yet in this state of things we see nothing
but the fruits of that violence and injury which, from

RESULT OF EARLY CRUELTIES. 319
the first colonization of Para by the Portuguese, had
been practised against the despised Indians.
In addition to the more direct consequences of the
disorders, the salubrity of the country, and of the city
itself, fearfully deteriorated* The rapid growth, and
the equally rapid decay, of vegetable matter, on the
spots from which years of cultivation had banished it,
brought on epidemics and other fatal diseases, which
swept off hundreds of the people that survived the
wars. Thus one of the richest and fairest portions of
the earth was nearly desolated.
It is only by slow degrees that it has since been
recovering. Nothing, indeed, but the extraordinary
and spontaneous fertility of the whole region, has en
abled the province, in any considerable degree, to re
cover its business relations. Notwithstanding all the
natural beauties so profusely exhibited at Para, re
minding one at every step, and at every glance, of the
glorious munificence of the Creator, there are but few
places which suggest sadder reflections upon the wick
edness and misery of man. We can scarcely point to
a bright spot in its history. During the early periods
that succeeded its settlement by Europeans, a con
tinual crusade was carried on against the aboriginals of
the soil, for the purpose of reducing them to a state
of servitude. In vain were the reasoning and power
of the Jesuits arrayed in opposition to this course. In
vain was African slavery introduced as its substitute.
The cruel and sanguinary purposes of the Portuguese
were persevered in. An innocent and inoffensive peo
ple were pursued and hunted down in their own forests
like beasts of prey. Thus iniquity triumphed, but a
terrible retribution followed. The foul passions which

320 RELIGION AND EDUCATION.
had been nurtured in the persecution of the Indians
were equally malevolent, when excited against each
other by the common jealousies and differences of life.
For a long time previous to the outbreak of 1835,
assassinations had been the order of the day. Scarce
ly a night passed without the occurrence of more or
less. No man's life was secure. Revenge rioted in
blood. This was too much the case in other parts of
the country, at the same period, but at Para worse
than elsewhere. Then followed the dreadful scenes
already described, in which the long-degraded and
down-trodden Indians, headed by factious and in
triguing men, gained the ascendancy in turn, and
drove the white population into exile.
What a waste of human life was caused by these
successive events ! A waste too that seems the more
deplorable, from its occurring in a country where no
thing is so much wanted as population and industry.
Notwithstanding the restoration and establishment of
order, yet an armed soldiery is deemed essential to its
preservation. At the same time the idle habits and
questionable morals of a body of soldiers, quartered in
such a place, have no favorable bearing upon the wel
fare of the community.
The recent reports of the presidents of this pro
vince have been quite full and explicit. They exhibit,
however, a most gloomy picture of the state of morals,
education, and religion.
Nearly all the churches in the province are going to
ruin, and require immense expenditures to save them.
Out of ninety parishes, only thirty-seven were supplied
with parish priests. Among the one hundred and fifty
thousand wild Indians that still inhabit the province,

THE BIBLE IN PARA. 321
little was doing towards either evangelizing or civiliz
ing them. In many counties it was impossible to
organize a jury competent to decide upon cases in civil
and criminal law; and, in some populous districts, men
qualified for the office of justice of the peace, or of
clerk in a justice's court, are not to be found. Many
of those who are appointed justices cannot write their
names. This state of affairs will hardly be wondered
at when we observe that, according to the statistics of
1842, the whole province contained only forty primary
schools, and four Latin schools, the latter having forty-
one pupils, the former one thousand two hundred and
forty. Still less surprise shall we indulge when one
of the presidents alluded to felt himself authorized to
insinuate that many of the existing schools were nearly
useless on account of the ignorance of the teachers.
He remarks with great point, " Brazil has two law
universities, but perhaps the country would be better
off if they produced fewer lawyers and more school
masters." The enterprise of circulating Bibles and evangelical
tracts, was not overlooked during my residence there.
All providential openings for doing good were gladly
embraced, and arrangements were made to establish
the Scriptures on sale, with tracts for gratuitous dis
tribution, which have continued to exist down to the
present time. It is to be presumed that the numerous
copies of the Scriptures, and scriptural publications,
thus furnished to the reading community of Para, have
not failed to exert a most happy influence in promoting
general tranquillity and the practice of virtue.
Vol. II.— 41

322 ROUT TO MATTO GROSSO.

CHAPTER XVIII.
Rout from Para to Matto Grosso.— From Matto Grosso to Rio de
Janeiro. — Name. — Extent and Condition of the Province. — Goyaz. —
Boundaries. — Productions. — Indians. — Mineral Waters. — State of So
ciety. — Famine among the Gold Hunters. — Schools. — State of the
Arts. — Frequency of Travels in these Regions compared with those
on the Coast. — Spix and Martius. — Russian Embassy. — Unhappy
Issue. — Minas Geraes. — Extent. — Population. — Fertility. — Mines. —
English Mining Company. — Agriculture. — Lack of Roads. — Schools.
— Improvements.
Having now passed along the coast of Brazil, and
given some sketches of each of the provinces lying
contiguous to the ocean, it will be proper to take a
rapid survey of the three inland provinces — Matto
Grosso, Goyaz, and Minas Geraes.
Matto Grosso may be reached from Para by ascend
ing either the Tocantins, the Xingii, the Tapajos, or
the Madeira rivers. A glance at the map would lead
one to suppose that the passage of the Madeira was
not only the longest, but also that which would be in
every way the most difficult. It is, however, better
known than either of% the others, and is the only one
which has ever been a commercial thoroughfare.
The distance in a right line from Para to Villa
Bella, one of the principal towns of Matto Grosso, is
about one thousand miles. Not less than two thousand
five hundred miles have to be traversed in making the
passage by water. In a memoir published by the Geo
graphical and Historical Institute of Rio de Janeiro,
we have a detailed account of this rout, and the nume
rous difficulties it opposes to either the traveler or the

ROUT TO MATTO GROSSO. 323
merchant. For the space of fifteen hundred miles up
the Amazon and the Madeira, to the falls of St. An
thony, there is nothing in the way but a powerful cur
rent. Much of the country through which the last
named river flows is very unhealthy. From the falls
of St. Anthony a succession of falls and rapids extend
upward for more than two hundred miles. Nearly all
this distance it is necessary to transport canoes and
cargoes overland, by the most tedious and difficult pro
cesses imaginable. Precipices must be climbed, roads
cut, and huts built from time to time, as a temporary
shelter against the rains. In short, three or four
months are necessarily consumed on this part of the
rout. Once above this chain of obstacles, there remain
about seven hundred miles of good navigation on the
Mamore and Guapore rivers. The entire voyage oc
cupies ten months, when made by traders carrying
goods. Vast numbers of Indians and negroes are re
quired as oarsmen and bearers of burdens. It is cus
tomary for several companies to associate together,
and the provisions which must necessarily be provided
beforehand, occasion great expense and inconvenience.
The downward voyage, as a matter of course, would
be much easier and quicker performed. Notwithstand
ing the tedium and the toil of this long and dreary pas
sage, it is generally less dreaded than the overland
rout to Rio de Janeiro. On the latter, an interminable
succession of mountains, the lack of any direct or suit
able roads, the impossibility of procuring provisions
by the way, at least for great distances, and the slow
pace of loaded mules, are by no means trifling difficul
ties in the way of either dispatch or pleasure. Thus
it is at once seen, that whatever may be the condition

324 EXTENT OF THE PROVINCE.
of Matto Grosso, its opportunities for intercourse with
the maritime provinces are by no means inviting. At
the same time, there is but little hope of their improv
ing until some methods of shortening distances and
leveling mountains, not yet heard of, shall be dis
covered. The name Matto Grosso signifies a dense forest, and
in itself is no imperfect description of the vast territory
to which it is applied. The province is sometimes
called Cuiaba, after a river which runs through it.
The bishopric which it constitutes is known by that
name only.
Matto Grosso lies nearer the center of South Ame
rica than any other state or province. It is bounded
on the west by Peru and Bolivia, and on the south by
Paraguay and San Paulo. It contains over five hun
dred thousand square miles, while its population does
not, by the largest estimate, exceed forty thousand, or
one inhabitant for each area of twelve square miles.
Sixty-six different tribes of Indians still exist in the
province. Most of these tribes are in an entirely
savage state. A few of them are on friendly terms
with the government and people of the province;
others are decidedly hostile, and omit no opportunity
of making desolating incursions upon the cultivated
districts. Extending through seventeen degrees of
latitude, the climate of this province is considerably
varied. It is generally considered healthy. Although
mountainous throughout, it has no volcanoes, nor any
peaks which for height can be compared with those of
the Andes.
Besides its mountains and forests, Matto Grosso also
abounds in deep caverns and majestic waterfalls. Two

PRODUCTIONS. 325
of its caverns have been explored and described at
some length. One of them has been called the Gruta
das Oncjas, from the great number of wild beasts that
inhabited it. The other is called Gruta do Inferno, or
the Grotto of Hell, from its resemblance to the fabled
Avernus. Its soil is said to be fertile, but it almost universally
lacks cultivation. In some parts considerable attention
is given to grazing, but generally speaking, the inha
bitants make no exertions to produce any thing that is
not requisite for their own consumption. Indeed, they
do not always reach the limit of their own necessities.
The province abounds in gold and diamonds, but owing
to the lack of skill employed in searching for them, the
products of either^ for latter years, have been very
small. What is gained by the miners and the garim-
peiros, as the diamond seekers are called, together
with small quantities of ipecacuanha, constitute the
whole amount of exports from .the province. These
articles are generally sent to Rio de Janeiro, where
they suffice to purchase the few manufactured goods
that are used by the inhabitants of Matto Grosso.
The capital of the province is the city of Cuiaba. It
has a healthy location upon the Cuiaba river. Although
called a city, it is in fact but a village. Its houses are
nearly all built of taipa, with floors of hardened clay
or brick.. The region immediately surrounding it is
said to be so abundant in gold, that some grains of it
may be found wherever the . earth is excavated. It is
about one hundred miles from the diamond district.
The first printing press ever seen in Matto Grosso,
was procured at the expense of the government in
1838. The number of primary schools provided for by
2C

326 GOYAZ.
the. government is eighteen. By the latest statistics
eight of these were supplied with teachers, having four
hundred and thirty four boys on their lists., The num
ber of scholars, in private arid Latin schools, at the
same time, was, about two hundred. Great inconve
niences were suffered from the lack of books, paper, and
nearly every other material essential to elementary
education. In addition .to this low and unpromising
state of education, that of religion appears, from the
reports of successive presidents of the province, to be
still worse. There are but few churches in .existence.;
not more than half of these are -supplied with priests.;
and all, without great expenses in repairing, will ere
long be in ruins.
Upon the east of Matto Grosso borders Goyaz, an
other large province, very similar in character and
location -to the former. It also stretches from Para
on the north, to San Paulo on the south. Its eastern
boundaries connect it with Maranham, Piauhy, Per;-
nambuco, and Minas. Geraes. . Like most of the inte
rior portions, of Brazil, Goyaz was discovered and
overrun, at an early .day by: the Paulistas, in their
search for mines and slaves. It -abounds in gold, dia
monds, and precious stones, but .its remoteness from
the sea-shore, and its lack of roads, canals, and navi
gable rivers, are great obstacles to the development of
its resources. , ,
This province, which may be considered as occupy
ing the pentral portion of Brazil, is not generally
mountainous, although its surface is elevated and un
equal. Some tall- virgin forests are seen upon the
banks of its--rivers, but the larger portions of the pro
vince are covered with that species of low and stunted

INDIANS. 327
shrubbery which, prevail in large portions of the pro
vince of Minas, and are designated by the terms
catingas .and- carasquenos: Its soil yields the usual
productions -of Brazil, together with many of the fruits
of southern Europe. Cultivation has progressed far
ther- in Goyaz than in Matto Grosso, though it is still
extremely backward.'
The name of this province is derived from' the Goyas,
a tribe of Indians formerly inhabiting its territory, but
now nearly extinct. Various other tribes still exist
within its borders', several of which cherish a deadly
hatr"ed to the .people who have invaded their domains
and disturbed them in their native haunts. Settlements
are often laid waste by the hostile incursions of thes'e
Indians. A body of regular troops is constantly kept
in arms to resist such encroachments. But the mis
chief is generally done, and the authors of it have
escaped, before they are aware that danger is threat
ened. Such is the stealthiness and fatality of savage
warfare. Considerable attention has • been excited of late
years, by the discovery of mineral waters in Goyaz.
Several warm springs ar.e said to exist in the south
western part of the province. These waters hate not
been properly analyzed, but they are said to be highly
curative in cases of morphea, and other diseases of the
leprous type.- Few things could be more desirahle in
Brazil than a plentiful supply of such healing waters.
We hate some glimpses of the state of society in
Goyaz, from the pen of M. Auguste St. Hilaire, and
of General Raymutido Joze da Cunha Mattos. Both
of these gentlemen traveled extensively within its
boundaries, and both agree in representing the state of

328 GOLD HUNTERS.
society as backward in the extrerrie. Its highest phase
is represented in the character of the vaqueiros, or cattle
proprietors. These men possess vast herds of horned
cattle, and their principal business is to mark, tend, and
fold them. They understand the use of the lasso, and
also of the long knife, but their moral and intellectual
condition is deplorable. St. Hilaire remarks, that "the
people who become domesticated in these vast wilds,
seem to lose the very elements of civilization. By
degrees their ideas of religion, and their respect for the
institution of marriage, disappear. They learn to. dis
pense with the use of money as a circulating medium,
and to forego the use of salt upon their food." But
this is not all — "A species of brutish infidelity is
already disseminated throughout these sertoens, which,
it is to be feared, will end not only in degrading the
people below the ordinary rank of moral and civilized
society, but even below the condition of the aboriginal
Indians." Goyaz and Matto Grosso may be ranked together in
the relation they bear to the other portions of the em
pire and of the world. Both were originally settled by
gold hunters. The lure of treasure led adventurers to
bury themselves in the deep recesses of these intermi
nable forests. Their search was successful. Their
most eager avarice was satiated. "Gold was so plen
tiful, that for the first year every slave commonly re
turned three or four ounces a day. It lay upon the
very surface of the ground. But the thoughtless ad
venturers had made no provision for supporting them
selves in the wilderness, and they discovered, when
too late, that food was more precious than gold. A
few white deer were the only game they could find, and

EDUCATION. 329
mangabas the only fruit. Higher prices for provisions
have seldom been demanded in a besieged town, or
during extreme famine, than these poor miners were
glad to pay. A pound of gold could scarcely buy a
bushel of corn, and in one instance a pound of gold
was bartered for a pound of salt. A drove of cattle
arrived, and flesh and bone together were sold for an
ounce and a half of gold per pound. The gold which
they gathered was expended for provision, but all was
not enough, and many of them literally died of star
vation. " The time when gold was most abundant, was de
scribed by one of the survivors as a season of pestilence
and famine; and the discoverer himself, who counted
his gold by arrobas,* died of leprosy." In later times
gold has become scarcer, but the march of improve
ment has been slow, and notwithstanding the ardent
anticipations of Mr. Southey and some others, the day
is likely to be distant when these regions will either be
populous or highly enlightened.
The presidential reports of Goyaz state the number
of primary schools in that province to be sixteen for
boys, and two for girls. There existed at the same
time five or six schools of a higher order, and the
number of pupils attending them is about one thousand.
The provincial government has, within a few years,
imported a printing press, which is chiefly employed in
printing official documents. The condition of the me
chanical arts in these two provinces may be inferred
from statements made in the report of the minister of
the empire in 1844.
"It is scarcely possible to find persons who have any
* A weight of thirty-two pounds.
Vol. II.— 42 2 c 2

330 TRAVELS IN THE INTERIOR.
skill in the common mechanical trades ; none whatever
in comparison with the wants of the country. Eight
French mechanics were recently on their way to Matto
Grosso. As they passed through Goyaz, the provincial
government induced three of them, a carpenter, a ca
binet maker, and a blacksmith, to establish themselves
within its bounds ; and this event was deemed so im
portant, as to be officially stated in the president's
message to the next provincial assembly." The minis
ter of the empire significantly remarks, that " from such
particulars, some idea may be formed of the actual
state of things in general."
It is not a little remarkable, that notwithstanding the
length and dreariness of journeys through the interior
of Brazil, yet that travelers and naturalists in former
years, have given much more attention to those distant
and solitary regions, than to the richer and more popu
lous sections lying contiguous to the coast. Indeed,
the only considerable portion of the coast which has
ever been the subject of scientific observations, is that
passed over by prince Maximillian, in his land journey
from Rio de Janeiro to Bahia. Whereas, the interior
and central portions of the empire, have been repeat
edly explored by the most distinguished naturalists.
The bare mention of the names of Eschwege,
Rodriguez, Ferreira, Spix, Martius, Natterrer, St.
Hilaire, and Von Langsdorff, is sufficient to remind
those who have given attention to the natural history
of South America, of the valuable labors already de
voted to this portion of the immense field which Brazil
offers to the observation of the world. Several of these
gentlemen were sent out at the expense of their re
spective governments, and consequently were furnished

RUSSIAN EMBASSY. 331
on the most liberal scale with whatever could render
their investigation complete.
It is hardly possible to place too high a value upon
the works of St. Hilaire, the author of the Plantes
Usuelles. This gentleman became fully acquainted
with the Brazilian character, and for a long time iden
tified himself with the inhabitants of the sertoens.
Mr. Natterrer, a German naturalist, spent seven years
in traversing the regions now the subject of remark.
On the whole, however, no scientific mission to Brazil
has resulted more successfully than that sent out by
the king of Bavaria, and executed by doctors Spix and
Martius. These gentlemen passed from Rio through
S. Paulo, Minas Geraes, and Goyaz, to the city of Ma
ranham ; thence proceeding by sea to Para, they as
cended the Amazon as far as Tabatinga, which stands
at the limit of the Brazilian territories. They made
numerous lateral excursions on the rivers Negro, Ja-
pury, and other streams, and finally descended the
river, and returned from Para to Europe. They not
only secured immense and valuable collections, but
have lived to present the world with numerous learned
works, the result of their observations.
The scientific commissioners appointed by the em
peror of Russia to traverse Brazil, was considerably
larger than that last mentioned, and most amply
qualified for its object; but its issue was unfortunate.
The Baron Von Langsdorff, who had long resided at
Rio in a diplomatic capacity, was placed at its head,
and directed its movements with great zeal and energy.
The expedition proceeded from Rio de Janeiro through
San Paulo and Matto Grosso.
Having reached the sources of the Madeira, the

332 UNHAPPY ISSUE.
party divided, and pursued different routs, in order to
explore as wide an extent of country as possible before
reaching their common destination, the city of Para.
As might have been expected, the excessive toils and
hardships to which the gentlemen engaged in this en
terprise were subject, brought on sickness and several
¦deaths. But a very unlooked-for circumstance occurred,
which had the effect to deprive the world of the benefit
of the investigations made at so much expense and
labor. A primary regulation of the enterprise, pro
vided that no member of the expedition should publish
his journal or notes until after those of the director,
if living, had been edited. By a strange fatality, the
Baron Von Langsdorff returned to Europe in a state
of mental alienation, the result of sickness and expo
sure in the regions through which he had passed. In
that state he has long survived, and thus a lamentable
silence was imposed upon the whole corps of his asso
ciates. M. Riedel, one of his coadjutors, returned to Rio de
Janeiro, and remained there. He has continued ever
since to give his attention to scientific pursuits, and is
unquestionably better acquainted with the botany of
Brazil than any other person living. This gentleman
has made application to the court of St. Petersburgh,
for the privilege, not only of publishing his own obser
vations, but also of editing the papers of Von Langs
dorff. It is presumed, that so reasonable a request
will not be denied ; and hence, it is to be hoped, that
the results of that expedition will ere long be published.
The only province that now remains for us to notice is
Minas Geraes. It is bounded on the north by Pernam-

MINAS GERAES. 333
buco and Bahia, east by Espirito Santo, south by Rio
de Janeiro and S. Paulo, and west by Goyaz. This pro
vince is situated between the thirteenth and twenty-third
degrees of south latitude. Its form is nearly square. It
is considerably smaller than the provinces last noticed.
Its area contains about one hundred and fifty thousand
square miles, and its population is estimated at seven
hundred and sixty thousand,' about five to the square
mile. Some portions of Minas correspond' very nearly
to the condition of Goyaz and Matto Grosso, being still
a wilderness, and overrun with Indian tribes. Other
portions are among the most improved and eligible
parts of the empire. One writer has remarked, with
great emphasis, that if there be one spot in the world
which might be made to surpass all others, Minas is
that favored spot. Its climate is mild and healthful;
its surface is elevated and undulating ; its soil is fertile,
and capable of yielding the most valuable productions ;
its forests abound in choice timber, balsams, drugs, and
dye-woods. But all these circumstances together, have not given
the province so much celebrity, .as the single fact of its
inexhaustible mineral wealth. Its name signifies the
general or universal mines, and accordingly, mines of
gold, silver, copper and iron, are found within its bor
ders, besides quantities of precious stones. Several of
its most valuable gold mines have been wrought by an
English mining company for the last twenty years.
This company was organized under the auspices of
Don Pedro I. in 1825, with an active capital of two
hundred thousand pounds.. It has been unquestionably
a source of profit to its stockholders, and has rendered
great service to the country generally, by introducing

334 AGRICULTURE.
the most approved methods of mining, and by giving a
general impetus to Brazilian industry. At the same
time paying duties of twenty per cent, upon its pro
ducts, it has yielded a large revenue to the government.
This company constantly employs a large number of
miners from Cornwall, and has established quite an
English village at Gongo Socco, its principal mine.
So much has been written in detail respecting the
province of Minas by Mawe, Walsh, and others, that
it is only necessary for me to state, in general terms,
those facts which relate to its present condition. The
agricultural capacities of the province are very great.
It yields coffee, sugar, tobacco and cotton. It indeed
produces some coarse manufactures of cotton. Its soil
yields Indian corn in great profusion, and may be made
to grow wheat. Upon its campinas, or upland prairies,
innumerable herds of cattle, and some flocks of sheep,
are pastured. The milk of the cows is converted into
a species of soft cheese, known as the queijo de Minas.
The form, as well as the flavor of this cheese, is pecu
liar. The cheeses are made about two inches thick,
and six or eight in diameter. When sufficiently cured,
they are wrapped in banana leaves and packed in bas
kets, to be transported to market, like every thing else,
on the backs of mules. Immense quantities of them
may be seen at Rio de Janeiro, and from that port they
are scattered along the coast, being very much esteem
ed as an article of food.
Nothing so much hinders the general prosperity of
Minas Geraes as its lack of good roads, and some fea
sible thoroughfare to a market. The province has, of
late years, expended no inconsiderable sums upon the
construction of roads, but, as yet, it cannot send a single

¦ EDUCATION.- 335
ton of its produce to market upon wheels. The jour
ney from Ouro Preto, the capital, to Rio de Janeiro,
a distance of about two hundred miles', is performed
on the baeks of mules and hprses only, and ordinarily
requires fifteen days.
As to education, it is but just to say, .that Minas Ge
raes,. according to official statistics, takes the lead of
all the provinces in this praiseworthy enterprise. The
provincial government has made large expenditures for
the support of schools, and tjie people seem to have
appreciated the benefit to be derived from them. • .
The province- provides for one hundred and eighty*
two public sehools. Of these, there were recently in
operation, ninety-six primary schools for boys, fifteen
for girls, and .twenty-six Latin schools. About eight
thousand pupils were enrolled in these schools, and the
average attendance was about six thousand. Besides
these, there' existed a number of private schools; and
the majority of the inhabitants, in one way.or other, are
giving their children an education. Several young gen
tlemen have been sent to Europ^ at the expense of the
province, to qualify themselves for the. task of normal
instruction. . *.
Should the long talked-of enterprise of steam navi
gation upon the Rio Doce and the- Rio de S. Francisco
ever prove successful, the . interests of Minas Geraes
would, it is presumed, be greatly promoted.. New chan
nels would be opened for its commerce, and new life
would be infused into every departrhent of industry.
In the meantime, if. the province pursues the .course s it
has followed for several years past, its civil and intel
lectual progress, though slow, will be sure.

336 DEPARTURE FROM PARA.

CHAPTER XIX.
Departure from Para. — Voyage to Maranham. — A Student without a
Passport. — Passengers. — Ceara. — A thieving Jangadeiro. — The
Coast.— Pernambuco.— Bahia.— The Orientale.— Polytechnic School
afloat. — Customs on board. — Entrance to Rio de Janeiro by night.
— The Expedition. — Mission to the Seamen of Rio. — General results
of Missionary efforts. — Sudden bereavement.
If the reader is now disposed to return from our
discursion into the interior of Brazil, he is invited to
accompany the author in a rapid voyage along the
coast from Para, to Rio de Janeiro.
After a residence of nearly two months at Para, I
left that city on board the Pernambucana, bound to
the southern port's, in .company with only two other
passengers. We sailed at five p. M. The descent of
the river was remarkably pleasant. We went down
with the ebb tide, and our progress was consequently
accelerated. But during the night the speed of .our
engines was checked, lest we should find ourselves too
soon in the neighborhood of the shoals at the river's
mouth. Our captain graduated his time with great
precision, and we passed safely between the shoals
of Tigo^a and Braganza just at daylight.
Having passed into the open sea we stood upon our
course, wjth nothing to hinder our progress save a
strong breeze " dead ahead." This steam packet was
under excellent discipline, with English officers, and a
mixed crew of Portuguese, French, and negroes. On
overhauling my baggage I found an assortment of
reading that seemed to supply the wants of all classes,

VOYAGE TO MARANHAM. 337
and when distributed it was most kindly received.
Our cook, a Frenchman, about forty years of age,
showed me a volume which he had designed to pe
ruse on the voyage during his leisure hours. I found
it to be a volume of Voltaire's works, a melange of
poetic epistles. I gave him, as a substitute for it,
Message de Dieu envers toi.
The whole shore along which we passed is very low
and flat. It cannot be discerned from any considera
ble distance. About ten o'clock, of our third morning
out, the conical mountain of Itacolumi was seen to
rise slowly out of the water on our starboard bows,
and we began to think of again getting into port. At
four o'clock p. M. I stepped on shore at the stone
stairs, near the president's palace, in the city of Ma
ranham. This town presents a great contrast to Para
in the number of persons seen in the streets. Gentle
men and ladies, finely dressed, are met at every step.
But having already devoted a chapter to sketches of
the city and province, further descriptions will be un
necessary. The regulation of the steam packets was,
to remain forty-eight hours in each port. When the
hour for embarcation arrived, our packet had greatly
increased her number of passengers, but she suffered
a slight detention from the necessity of receiving coals
to the last moment.
Pending this delay an animated scene occurred for
the diversion of the company. A man appeared along
side as a passenger, who could show no passport. The
officer of the port declared he could not go. He plead
most eloquently, saying he was nothing but a student,
he had no slaves, nobody need be suspicious of him.
He had but just arrived, and was now returning. But
Vol. II.— 43 2 D

338 PASSENGERS.
no, his plea was unavailing — " It was a time of revo
lution — ordens terminantes forbade any idea of compro
mise." After having the argument fairly- out, and
losing nearly all his time, this Senhor resolved to take
advice, and hurry to the president's palace to get his
former passport endorsed. Fortunately for him all
formalities were waived by the president, who admit
ted him, and granted his request at once; so he pre
sently came back, quite out of breath, but just in time
to save his passage.
On passing out we found the sea to be very rough,
with a strong wind ahead. Our progress was conse
quently very slow. Our new company was composed
entirely of Portuguese and Brazilians, and the office
of general interpreter seemed to fall on me as a mat
ter of necessity, since the officers of the vessel, and
.those important characters the stewards, were Eng
lish, and not yersed in the idioma nacional.
Among, the passengers was a gentleman of some
literary distinction, a Portuguese by birth, who had
recently become blind. Another was a young Brazilian
doctor of laws, who had graduated at the university of
Olinda, and afterward served as juiz de direito at
Caxias, the revolted district. These gentlemen, were
in company with each other, bound to Rio de Janeiro.
We also had on board a Desembargador from Para,
and a Portuguese sea captain, the master of a slave
vessel. This last individual was the only person whom
I heard, while in Brazil, openly advocate the doctrines
of atheism. Surely he was a fit disciple of such doc
trines. A voyage of four days and a half took us into the
harbor of Ceara. This port is one of some difficulty

Ceara. 339
to make when approached from either direction, not
so much from its lacking landmarks as from the dif
ficulty of perceiving the mountains in its rear. A
thick haze constantly hangs over the land, during the
period of the strong winds, which, as the coast is low
and sandy, prevents its being seen at a distance, al
though the sky may be perfectly clear overhead: - Those
not accustomed to navigating this coast are liable to
make fatal mistakes, being deceived by these mists,
and running too near the shore. Large tracts of this
coast were denominated by the early Portuguese navi
gators lengoens, " white sheets," or " sheeted sands."
Our packet having come to anchor at Ceara I had
the good fortune to disembark, by the aid of a pa viola,
without getting wet. I enjoyed the same good fortune
again-, when returning on" board, though very few of
the passengers could say as much, having come off
when the tide was beginning to flow.
We sailed from Ceara at evening. Just as we were
getting under way a trifling incident occurred, having
in it enough of the ludicrous to suffice- for the remain
der of the voyage. Our captain, a tart old English
man, had sent his linen on shore to be washed. It was
brought off by some person on board the pilot's jan
gada. When the bundle was examined it appeared
that a pair of white pantaloons was missing. No small
hubbub was the result of this discovery. Every body
within reach was catechised, as a means of obtaining
light on the subject, but no one knew any thing about the
matter save that the captain had lost his pantaloons.
Fortunately the washerwoman was not on board, or
she would have been summarily condemned on suspi
cion. But in her absence the whole body of Cearenses

340 A THIEVING JANGADEIRO.
had to suffer the worst accusations. They were set
down as thieves and blackguards at once, and without
a hearing. At length a happy thought occurred — the
jangada must be searched. There it lay, fastened
astern by a long rope ; its poles were perfectly bare,
and there was not a nook or corner in the whole craft
into which a mouse could creep. One of the janga-
deiros had come on board the steamer with his master
the pilot, and the other sat, apparently half asleep, on
the steersman's bench. The very idea of a search was
ridiculous, but it must be made. The gig was manned,
and the commission proceeded to the only thing which
could be done, namely, to disturb the dreams of the
swarthy jangadeiro. He was made to rise from his
seat, when lo! the stolen pantaloons appeared. This
discovery, instead of soothing our captain's irritated
feelings, seemed farther to exasperate them. There
was now proof positive that the Cearenses were cer
tainly thieves, and if the overflowings of his indigna
tion could only have been interpreted, so that the poor
fellows for whom it was meant could comprehend them,
they might have had some moral effect.
Now it happened that the pilot himself was already
the subject of the captain's most sovereign contempt.
The idea of an ignorant old fisherman teaching an
English navigator how to take a vessel out of the har
bor of Ceara, was absolutely insufferable, except for
" owners' orders." At the same time the owners were
fools for submitting to such an imposition. When the
steamer was once under way, the pilot's jangada got
a most merciless walk-in-the-water. The pilot now,
secure of his fees, wished to be off. A very limited
pause was granted for his accommodation, and the old

PERNAMBUCO. 341
man had to handle himself with great dispatch in get
ting clear of the steamer, and in rejoining his ttian,
whom -the captain declared ought to be drowned with
out ceremony.
The time of sailing was favorable, the sea being
smooth and the' wind moderate. The next morning
we were off Aracaty, The' following day and night
were passed out of sight of land. The second morn
ing we doubled Cape St. Roque, and stood close in
shore. During the day we saw the entrance of Natal,
the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, and at dark we
were off Ponta Negra. We had still a strong current
ahead, but the wind was free.
The next day was Sunday. In the morning we
were, off Parahiba river, and met the Maranhense on
her passage up. The day was -charming, and the view
presented by, the coast, with . its villages, its cocoa
groves, and its .general scenery, Was greatly superior
to. any. thing* I had' seen north of it. Jn fact, there is no
portion of the whole Brazilian coast more populous or
better, cultivated, than these .parts of Parahiba and Per
nambuco. By four o'clock p. m., we were at anchor
inside the reef of Pernambuco, and I was. soon among
my friends. At evening, I attended divine service at
the English chapel, but was pained to see so small a
proportion of the English and American residents pre
sent. Among other privileges which I enjoyed during
this short call, was that of supplying the director of the
most flourishing college in the city with a quantity of
tracts, which that gentleman desired for the purpose of
distributing as premiums at an anniversary, which he
was preparing to celebrate with great splendor in the
Franciscan convent. ' . • .
2d2

342 POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL AFLOAT.
We sailed from Pernambuco at eight o'clock in the
evening, and enjoyed a sublime scene in passing out of
the gap in the reef, under the illumination of the light
house. The next morning we found ourselves in the
open sea, with fair weather and a crowd of passengers.
It appeared that a vacation in the Curso Juridico of
Olinda had supplied us with a bevy of young doctors,
or doctors in embryo, who were returning homeward
down the coast. I was sorry to observe in some of
them more outlandishness of manners than is common
in Brazil, even among the lower classes of people.
At four o'clock p. m., we made the port of Maceio'.
Our delay there was only thirty-six hours, and we had
a splendid run from thence to Bahia.
The details of my arrival and residence at St. Sal
vador having been previously recorded, it is unnecessary
to inform the reader, that in the interval between the
departures of two steam packets, I sailed from that
port to Rio de Janeiro on board the French ship L'Ori-
entale. This was a vessel bound on a voyage round
the world, having on board a polytechnic school of
sixty pupils, who, aided by competent professors, were
thus to travel and receive their education at the same
time. The enterprise was a private one, projected by
the commander of the vessel, M. Lucas, and conducted
on his account, although it had, however, received the
sanction of the French government. The Orientale
was a very large ship, originally constructed for the
merchant service. She now wore a pennant, and
mounting eight or ten guns, had the appearance of a
respectable sloop of war. She had sailed from Nantz,
and on her way had touched at Lisbon, Madeira, Te-
neriffe, and Goree, on the coast of Africa. Thence

ARRANGEMENT OF THE SHIP. 343
she had stretched across the Atlantic to Pernambuco.
From that port she was proceeding to visit all the most
important places at which she could touch in her pro
jected voyage. She had remained ten or twelve days
at Bahia, during which time I had become acquainted
with several gentlemen belonging to the expedition.
Knowing my desire to proceed down the coast, these
gentlemen, among whom the assistant-surgeon and
professor of English was foremost, had kindly secured
me the offer of a passage from the commander. Ar
rangements were made accordingly, and on the evening
of a dull, rainy day, I presented myself on board. I
found the vessel divided into three departments. The
dunette furnished a cabin and state-rooms for the cap
tain, the scientific professors, and three ladies, who
were on board. The carre, or after-cabin, below, was
allotted to the amateurs, a class of gentlemen who went
for. the mere pleasure of the voyage, but who took no
part in the scholastic or manual exercises of the vessel.
For the pupils, the entrepont, or midships, had been
fitted up so as to accommodate them with swinging
hammocks for sleeping, and long tables for eating and
study, and other- desirable purposes. Being myself
only a transient passenger, I was assigned a hammock
in the entrepont with the pupils, while I was to mess
with the captain and professors in the dunette. This
arrangement was very agreeable to me, not only as
being the best that could be made, but as giving me
excellent opportunities of observing both men and
manners. The ship's company presented the most
singular variety of personages ever thrown together
within so small a compass.
The idea of establishing a polytechnic school upon

344 DISCIPLINE ON BOARD.'
the ocean was in itself singular, and it. had drawn to
gether the curious-from all ranks of society. The great
body of the eleves and amateurs.were sons of .the titled
families of France and Belgiuni. The pupils were not
only taking lessons in science and sight-Seeing, but also
in practical seamanship. They were divided into re
gular watchesj and expected to do duty in every de
partment . of sailor's work, except swabbing decks.
They had now enjoyed ten or twelve days, in port, and
were not very prompt in resuming , their places on board
preparatory to Sailing.
My first night in the entrepont was. a long and almost
sleepless one. The air' of the apartment was exces
sively, heated, while there was neither wind nor motion
to secure the least ventilation. Besides the great num
ber of sleepers, whose breath was continually adding
rarification to the air, individuals were conversing in
all directions, and as party after party arrived, new
subjects of interest were introduced. .1 was somewhat
amused with a dialogue which occurred near me in
terms like these.
"Notre passager est-il rendu t"
" Oui, il est id,"
"Est-il unPretre?" •
"Oui, il a deja fait ses prier.es."
"Vraiment, il fait une.drole education chez nous
ici!" Long before morning all was still, and probably all
were sleeping. It was quite natural that some curi
osity should be indulged respecting the new passenger,
and especially; since he was the only American on
board. I had, however, no reason to complain of this,
as it doubtless had its influence in securing me an im-

CUSTOMS ON BOARD. 345'
mediate acquaintance with those who had a disposition
to learn more of myself, my country, or of Brazil, than
they already knew. Such indeed was the kindness
and gentlemanly bearing which I received from all on
board, that I very soon felt myself quite at home in the
midst of so novel a scene.
We sailed from Bahia at noon. The wind was at first
very light, but by degrees it freshened up. Our fare
well view of the splendid scenery of the city and of the
bay was the subject of universal admiration, but before
dark the whole promontory had sunk in the distant
northern horizon.
The Orientale was a fine sailing vessel, and we
moved off rapidly towards our destination. The man
ner in which this ship was furnished, was different from
the usual customs of the sea. Not a fowl, pig, or other
live animal, was on board for the use of the table.
Fruits constituted the only article of fresh provisions in
use, unless daily supplies of new bread constituted
another exception. It must not be inferred from this
remark, that the fare on board was indifferent. The
vessel was literally freighted with provisions, of which
preserved meats and vegetables formed a large pro
portion. Notwithstanding the celebrity of the French
style of living, I could but think, that in some particu
lars, it was not specially adapted to life at sea. There
was, for example, the rule of etiquette, which required
each individual to be furnished with a knife, fork, spoon,
napkin, and tumbler, for his own exclusive use. As a
practical result of this exclusiveness, one would observe
on the announcement of breakfast or dinner, a general
movement towards the state-rooms. The company
would soon reappear, each one bringing the above-
Vol. IT.— 44

346 CUSTOMS AT THE TABLE.
named articles, with the sang froid of a journeyman
mechanic carrying the necessary tools to his day's work.
The first operation of each one was to wipe his plate
with his napkin, and afterward his knife, fork, and
spoon. This act was repeated as often as thought ne
cessary during the meal, until finally, at the close of the
repast, they were all cleaned again to be laid away.
This custom certainly lightened the labor of the ser
vants, and may have been very congenial to the notions
of those who could not endure .the vulgarity of eating
after another person : but the operation of cleaning
dishes at the table, and particularly by the aid of cloths
that in their appearance demonstrated the difficulty of
procuring good washing at sea, did not at all commend
the practice to my estimation.
The process of making coffee was conducted on a
similar' principle. That material was brought in after
meals, just roasted and in the kernel; a coffee-mill
was then produced to grind it. This coffee-grinding is
usually a. musical operation, but it was on these occa
sions performed gratuitously, for the edification, of the
company. Once pulverized, the coffee was put into a
long bag, resembling in shape an inverted loaf of
sugar, the remains of the former decoction having been
first thrown out, This bag was suspended .by a string
over the table, and hot water being poured in at the
top, was left to drain through it drop by drop, until
coffee enough was filtered to fill the several cups of the
company. The whole ceremony frequently lasted an
hour. On the sixth day out, we found ourselves at sunrise
completely becalmed, with land in sight. This land
was at first supposed to be Cape Frio, but afterward

NARROW ESCAPE. 347
proved to be a mountain farther to the westward. The
morning was pleasant, and we were elated with the
idea that the sea-breeze would spring up the regular
time, and take us directly into the harbor of Rio de
Janeiro, a dim outline of which could now be seen.
But our anxious waiting was followed by a dismal
rain, and late in the afternoon we abandoned all hope
of entering the harbor until the next day. However,
the squall thickened, and being accompanied with
wind, gave us some motion. After the squall passed
over, the breeze continued, and our hopes revived as
we began to find ourselves among the islands. In
short, before dark we were inside the Ilha Raza light
house, and by sailing close on the wind, were enabled
to make our course into the narrow mouth of the har
bor. We passed close under the walls of Fort Santa
Cruz — but just as the vessel was in the most critical
part of the passage, the wind lulled, and the current of
the ebbing tide swept her back, and by degrees carried
her over towards the rocks upon which Fort Lage is
constructed. The moment was one of great excite
ment and danger. Our situation was perceived at the
forts, which severally fired guns and burned white and
blue lights, in order to show us their position.
A more sublime scene can hardly be imagined.
The rolling thunders of the cannon were echoed back
by the surrounding mountain peaks, and the brilliant
glare of the artificial flames appeared the more intense
in the midst of unusual darkness. Happily for the
vessel and all on board, the wind freshened in time,
and we were borne gallantly up to the man-of-war an
chorage, where, at nine o'clock, we were lying moored
to not less than seventy fathoms of chain.

348 ARRIVAL AT RIO.
The moon had not yet risen, and the evening re
mained very dark. This circumstance heightened the
beauty of the city and the effect of her thousand lamps,
which were seen brightly burning at measured intervals
over the hills and prayas of her far-stretching suburbs.
One young man was so enchanted with the novelty and
splendor of the scene, that he remained on deck all
night to gaze upon it, notwithstanding rain fell at in
tervals. As to myself, I thought it prudent to retire
to my hammock, although my feelings were so power
ful as almost to banish the idea of sleep. I was now
brought back, through all my wanderings, to the imme
diate vicinity of my family, whose joys or sorrows I
expected to share in the morning.
I can hardly take my leave of the Orientale without
a few remarks upon the character and prospects of the
expedition. The leading idea upon which it was
plarined, was not the most judicious ; for however beau
tiful the combination of a course of study and travel
might seem in theory, it was not found to work well in
practice. Again, the expedition was novel, and diffi
culties occurred in preserving proper order. The
rigorous discipline of a man-of-war would have been
resisted as tyrannical, and any thing short of it was likely
to result in confusion. Moreover, the respective rela
tions of the officers of the vessel, the professors, the
amateurs, and the eleves, had not been defined with
sufficient precision in the outset ; hence arose unlook
ed-for and aggravated differences. Notwithstanding
these circumstances, I witnessed much on board the
Orientale that was interesting. I cannot fail to remark
the cheerful and man-like manner in which several
individuals of the highest rank of European society

MISSION TO THE SEAMEN. 349
entered upon and persevered in the laborious duties of
the common sailor. Instead of being zealous in these
duties merely at times, when they could show off to
advantage, they seemed really and perseveringly enthu
siastic in the disposition to harden themselves by ap
plication to the severest toil. It certainly was a novel
and peculiar sight to behold barons, counts, viscounts,
marquises, and young men of every grade of hereditary.
rank, dressed in woolen shirts and tarred trowsers,
standing at the wheel, going aloft, and rowing boats.
This was the order of things on board the Orientale ;
and whatever may have been the fate of her expedi
tion, I shall long remember the week which I spent as
a passenger in her, as one of peculiar incident and plea
sure. So far as my passage had been offered me as
an act of courtesy, I now had an opportunity to repay:
it, as I repeatedly enjoyed the pleasure of meeting the
gentlemen with whom I had become acquainted, during
their stay in port.
On becoming again established at Rio de Janeiro,
in connection with my worthy colleague, Rev. Mr.
Spaulding, our attention was specially directed to the
benefit of the numerous English and American seamen
visiting that port. Mr. Spaulding had maintained the
Bethel service with great regularity and effect during
my absence. At this period we published circulars,
which we addressed to the captain, officers, and sea
men, of each vessel that entered the harbor, informing
them where the Bethel service was held, and inviting:
their regular attendance during their stay in port ; at
the same time presenting them considerations why
they should avail themselves of such religious privi
leges. The dissemination of this circular was followed
2E

350 BETHEL SERVICES.
by increased interest in the subject to which it invited
attention. Nothing oould exceed the order and solemnity of the
assemblies which gathered together each Sabbath
morning, on the deck of some noble vessel, at whose
mainmast the emblem of peace and mercy was floating
in the breeze. We generally found the vessel, desig
nated for the time being as the Bethel ship, arranged
and decorated in the most tasteful manner, with seats
to accommodate all who might choose to come and
worship God. How delightful was it to see boatload
after boatload of seamen coming alongside for this
noble object; men who, but for such an opportunity,
would be seeking recreation on shore, exposed to all
the temptations of vice, and the snares of sin ! How
sublime were the sentiments inspired by such a scene,
especially in such a place ! The brilliant sky, the lofty
mountains, and the swelling tide of the ocean, could
not fail, at any time, deeply to impress the thoughtful
mind; but when, surrounded by all these objects, it was
our privilege also to witness, in a company of seamen,
the attention of the soul fixed upon eternal things, and
indicated by the heaving breast, the falling tear, and
the unconcealed resolve, ours was no ordinary pleasure.
We had the satisfaction of organizing a Seamen's
Temperance Society, and finding numbers interested
in its worthy objects. It was also our good fortune at
that period, to have these efforts seconded by the active
and efficient co-operation of an officer of the United
States navy, who has since died, but who will long be
remembered as a philanthropist and a christian.*
Nor were our labors confined to merchant vessels,
* Lieutenant Mooers.

OCCASIONS FOR USEFULNESS. 351
or to the Sabbath day. We were occasionally invited
to preach on board American ships of war, and from
time to time we took occasion to pass through the
whole crowd of vessels upon the receiving anchorage,
and visit one after another, to converse with those on
board, and to leave behind us tracts and other memen
toes of our Christian friendship. These labors were
bread thrown upon the waters, for which we doubted
not the promise was sure, that it should be found after
many days. Various interesting circumstances also
occurred on shore, by which new occasions of useful
ness in the country at large were opened before us.
We now had correspondents along the whole coast.
During my late tour I had been enabled to put in cir
culation many copies of the Holy Scriptures, and about
sixty thousand pages of religious tracts. Besides this,
I had left Scriptures for sale, and tracts for distribution,
in the principal places. Thus, by the establishment of
depositories in the maritime towns, where the Scrip
tures could be procured by persons from every part of
the interior between S. Paulo and Para, a great step
was taken toward offering the word of God to the en
tire nation, and inviting the inhabitants generally to
receive it.
We now began to take active measures to establish
preaching in the Portuguese language at Rio. I was
engaged in preparing a series of discourses, which I
hoped soon to commence delivering. It was at this
most interesting juncture, that my labors in Brazil
were suddenly interrupted by a most painful bereave
ment. My beloved wife was smitten by the cruel hand
of disease, and in a few days was consigned to an early
grave. She was cut down in the midst of a field of

352 MELANCHOLY BEREAVEMENT.
usefulness, for which she had become peculiarly quali
fied. Her willing and faithful services in " the work
whereunto she was sent," were suddenly and fatally
checked by the unlooked-for approach of death. But
she died as she had lived, an humble, devoted Chris
tian; and in her final hour triumphed over the last
enemy, by falling "asleep in Jesus" — that Saviour,
" For the light of whose smile in the heaven of love,"
her warm heart continually aspired. Her precious
memory will be long and fondly cherished upon earth,
but her " record is on high." Her resting-place was
not found, as she had once poetically desired it might
be, in the caverns of "the deep blue sea," but in the
Protestant burial ground of Rio de Janeiro. Her re
mains were entombed in the Cemetery of Gamboa, a
handsome declivity in the northern suburbs of the city,
bordering upon the bay.
But for its melancholy associations, this spot would
be regarded as one of the loveliest on earth. At its
rocky base the tides of the ocean cease not to ebb and
flow. A shaded avenue leads upward from the sea
beach to the center of the enclosure, where memorials
of the dead stand thick on every side. As the stranger
lifts his eye towards the northern horizon, he beholds
a magnificent bay, spotted with islands, and hemmed
in by lofty mountain peaks — while all around him vege
tation is smiling in fadeless verdure, and fanned by the
daily breezes of the tropics. This bereavement, like
the untimely winds of autumn, swept many tender
blossoms of hope and promise for ever away. It im
posed upon me the imperious necessity of a speedy
embarkation for the United States, as a hopeful means

GAMB0A.

353

ENGLISH CEMETERY.

of preserving the life of an infant son. A month
elapsed, and I spent another night on board a vessel
in the harbor preparatory to sailing.
What a contrast did I experience in my feelings and
condition, to the circumstances under which I had, five
months previously, occupied nearly the same position
on board the Orientale. The same star-lit heavens
were over me, the same glassy waters beneath, the
same giant mountains, and the same extended city
before and around me. But yet how changed the
scene ! Before, my mind was filled with expectation
and joyous hope, but now it was desolated with sad
remembrances and overwhelming sorrow.
Vol. II.-45 2 e 2

354 CONDITION OF POLITICAL PARTIES.

CHAPTER XX.
Condition of Political Parties before the Revolution of 1840. — Debates
in the House of Deputies. — Attempt at Prorogation. — Movement of
Antonio Carlos. — Co-operation of the Senate. — Deputation to the
Emperor. — Permanent Session. — Acclamation of Don Pedro's ma
jority. — Imperial Oath. — The Assembly's Proclamation. — Rejoic
ings. — New Ministry. — Public Congratulations.
The year 1840 was signalized in Brazil by a new
and startling political revolution, which resulted in the
abolition of the regency. The Emperor, Don Pedro II.,
was now in his fifteenth year ; and the political party
opposed to the regent and the existing ministry,
espoused the project of declaring his minority expired,
and of elevating him at once to the full possession of
his throne. This project had been occasionally dis
cussed during the last five years. But it had always
been characterized as premature and absurd. The
constitution limited the minority of the sovereign at
eighteen years, and that was thought early enough for
any young man to have the task of governing so vast
an empire. As to responsibility, the constitution ex
pressly provided that none should attach itself to the
Emperor under any circumstances. Hence an aboli
tion of the regency would, as matter of course, devolve
the powers of the regent upon some other officer.
There would be one difference, however. The regent,
as such, enjoyed the privileges of royalty itself, being
also perfectly irresponsible. This circumstance was
urged as a great and growing evil. However desira
ble it was for a sovereign to possess the attribute of

PUBLIC DEBATES. 355
irresponsibility, it was a dangerous thing for a citizen,
accidentally elevated to office, to have the power of
dispensing good and evil to his country without expect
ing to answer for his conduct. As these subjects were
discussed much feeling was aroused, but the best in
formed persons supposed that the regent would be
able to defeat the plan laid for his overthrow.
The debate upon the motion in the house of depu
ties, to declare the Emperor of age, began early in
July, and at first turned principally upon constitutional
objections. The legislature had, in fact, no power to
amend or overstep the constitution. But the plan was
arranged, minds were heated, and the passions of the
people began to be enlisted. Violence of language
prevailed, and personal violence began to be threaten
ed. Antonio Carlos de Andrada, already described as
a man of great learning and eloquence, but at the
same time fiery and uncontrolable, stood forth as the
champion of the assailing party, accusing the regent
and his ministry of usurpation, especially since the
11th of March, when the imperial princess, Donna
Januaria, became of age. His efforts were powerfully
resisted, but his cause rapidly gained favor both in the
Assembly and among the people.
Galvao, until recently attached to the other party,
made an impressive speech on the side of immediate
acclamation as inevitable.
Alvares Machado demanded that party trammels
should now be abandoned. " The cause of the Em
peror was the cause of the nation, and ought to receive
the approbation of every lover of the country."
Navarro, a young but powerful member from Matto
Grosso, followed in a violent and denunciatory speech,

356 GREAT EXCITEMENT.
in which he stigmatized the regent, and all his acts,
in the most opprobrious language. While in the heat
of his harangue, he suddenly exclaimed, Viva a maio-
ridade de ma majestade imperial! The crowded gal
leries had hitherto observed the most religious silence,
but this exclamation drew forth a burst of enthusiastic
and prolonged applause. Navarro, no longer able to
make himself heard, drew his handkerchief from his
bosom to respond to the vivas from the gallery. Mem
bers of the other party sitting near him, imagined they
saw a dagger gleaming in his hand, and not knowing
whose turn might come first, began to flee for their
lives. One seized Navarro to keep him quiet ; but he,
not perceiving the reason of the assault, furiously repel
led it. For a few moments the most intense and un-
controlable excitement prevailed, but order was soon
restored. Crowds of people now assembled out of doors,
demanding the elevation of the young Emperor. Some
went so far as to proclaim his majority in the public
squares of the city. The ministerial party desperately
resisted these strange movements in the house, but
they were unable to stave off the debate.
Limpo de Abreo, an ex-minister, was in favor of
the revolution, but he wished it to be a deliberate and
consistent one, at least preceded by the report of a
committee justifying the step. After much opposition
to the measure the committee was appointed, and a
momentary calm ensued. During the night both par
ties reviewed their positions. The clubs and lodges
held their sessions, and the opposition met in caucus.
The regent, and his ministry, were also in conclave.
Vasconcellos, a senator from Minas Geraes, a veteran

ATTEMPT AT PROROGATION. 357
politician, but a man who had long been obnoxious on
account of great moral delinquencies, was called in as
their counsellor.
The session of the chamber of deputies next day
was opened in the midst of the deepest anxiety. The
galleries were crowded with people. The report of
the committee was anxiously looked for, and indeed
imperiously demanded, but did not appear.
Navarro accused the majority of the committee of
treacherously intending delay. He urged the imme
diate and unceremonious declaration of the Emperor's
majority. He appealed to the galleries, and received
a deafening response of vivas to Don Pedro II. Inde
scribable confusion ensued. The president of the cham
ber attempted to call up the order of the day, but it
was impossible. The absorbing question must be dis
cussed. The more moderate of the opposition wished
the young Emperor's elevation deferred till his birth
day, the 2d of December. The more violent exclaim
ed vehemently against any delay whatever. The debate
was protracted to an unusual length. In the midst of
it a messenger entered bearing documents from the re
gent. They were read by the secretary. The first was
a nomination of Bernardo Pereira de Vasconcellos as
minister of the empire. At the mention of the name
of Vasconcellos irrepressible sensations of indignation
were apparent throughout the house. The secretary
proceeded to read the second document, which proved
to be an act of prorogation, adjourning the General
Assembly over from that moment to the 20th of No
vember following.
Confusion and indignation were now at their height.
The people in the galleries could not be restrained.

358 DEPUTATION TO THE EMPEROR.
They poured down a torrent of imprecations upon the
administration, mingled with vivas to the majority of
Don Pedro II. Antonio Carlos, Martin Francisco,
Limpo de Abreo, sprang to their feet, and one after
the other entered their vehement protests against this
act of madness on the part of the government. They
charged the regent with treason, and declared that
every Brazilian should resist his high-handed measures.
They represented Lima as clutching, with a death
grasp, the power that was about to escape from his
hand. They denounced him as a usurper, willing to
sacrifice the monarch and the throne, at the hazard
of lighting up the flames of civil war in every corner
of the empire. Vasconcellos was portrayed as a mon
ster, whose name was significant of every vice and
crime, and withal the worst enemy the Emperor had;
but it was into his hands that the young monarch was
now betrayed !
The president of the house attempted to enforce the
act of prorogation, but was prevented. Antonio Carlos
now .started forth, and called upon every Brazilian
patriot to follow him to the halls of the senate. His
friends in the house, and the people en masse, accom
panied him. The multitude increased at every step.
On the arrival of the deputies at the senate the two
houses instantly resolved themselves into joint session,
and appointed a deputation, with Antonio Carlos at its
head, to wait upon the Emperor and obtain his consent
to the acclamation. During the absence of the depu
tation several of the senators endeavored to calm the
passions of the people. The multitude without had
increased to the number of several thousand. No sol
diers appeared, but the cadets of the military academy,

POPULAR ENTHUSIASM. 359
in the heat of their juvenile enthusiasm, rushed to
arms, and prepared to defend their sovereign.
Presently the deputation returned, and announced
that after its members had represented to the Emperor
the state of affairs which existed at the present crisis,
his Majesty had consented to assume the reins of go
vernment, and had ordered the regent to revoke his
obnoxious decrees, and to pronounce the chambers
again in session. Thunders of applause followed this
announcement. The enthusiasm of the people knew
no bounds. The country was saved, and no blood
was shed ! The citizens proceeded to congratulate
one another upon this peaceful triumph of public opi
nion. The discussions of the Assembly turned upon the
manner of consummating the revolution which had thus
singularly commenced. Lima was now stigmatized
as the ex-regent, and was pronounced incompetent to
reassemble the body which he had tried to prorogue.
The Marquis of Paranagua, president of the senate,
declared that neither house was now in session, but
that the members of both composed an august popu
lar assemblage, personifying the nation, demanding
that their Emperor be considered no longer a minor.
It was finally resolved to remain in permanent session
until his Majesty should appear and receive the oath
prescribed by the constitution in their presence. The
Assembly consequently remained in the senate-house
all night. A body of the national guards, the alumni
of the military academy, and numerous citizens, also
remained to guard them.
At daylight the people generally began to reassem
ble. By ten o'clock not less than eight or ten thousand

360 MAJORITY OF THE EMPEROR.
of the most respectable citizens surrounded the palace
of the senate. At ten o'clock the president of the As
sembly made a formal declaration of the objects of the
present convocation. The rolls of both houses were
then called, and the legal number, both of senators and
of deputies, being found present, the president arose
and said:
"I, as the organ of the representatives of this nation
in General Assembly convened, declare that his Ma
jesty, Don Pedro II., is from this moment in his ma
jority, and in the full exercise of his constitutional
prerogatives. The majority of his Majesty Senhor
Don Pedro II. ! Viva Senhor Don Pedro IL, constitu
tional Emperor and perpetual defender of Brazil ! !
Viva Senhor Don Pedro II. ! ! !"
Millions of vivas from the members of the Assembly,
from the spectators in the gallery, and from the multi
tude in the campo, now rent the air in response, and
were prolonged with indescribable enthusiasm and
delight. Deputations were appointed to wait upon
his Majesty when he should arrive, and to prepare a
proclamation to the empire. At half-past three o'clock
the imperial escort appeared. His Majesty was pre
ceded by the dignitaries of the palace, and followed by
his imperial sisters. His tutor occupied a place in the
same carriage with himself. On beholding the young
Emperor the enthusiasm of the crowd exceeded any
former limit. Nothing but a reiteration of vivas could
be heard in the campo during the whole ceremony.
His Majesty was received with all possible formality,
and conducted to the throne, near which the members
of the diplomatic corps were already seated in their
court uniform. The Emperor now knelt down and

IMPERIAL OATH. 361
received the oath prescribed by the constitution, where
upon was read aloud and solemnly signed, the following
AUTO DE JURAMENTO.
"Know all men to whom this public instrument
shall come, that on the twenty-third day of July, in
the year of our Lord 1840, and in the twenty-ninth
year of the independence of the empire of Brazil, in
this most loyal and heroic city of Rio de Janeiro, in the
palace of the senate, and in the presence of both houses
of the imperial legislature, to wit — thirty-three mem
bers of the senate, and eighty-four deputies, under the
presidency of his excellency the Marquis of Parana-
gua, assembled in order to witness the fulfillment of the
one hundred and third article of the constitution: being
also present, his Imperial Majesty Senhor Don Pedro-
de-Alcantara-Joao-Carlos-Leopoldo-Salvador-Bibiano- Francisco-Xavier-de-Paula-Leucadio-Miguel-Gabriel-
Raphael Gonzaga, second Emperor and perpetual
defender of Brazil, the legitimate son and first heir of
the late Emperor, Don Pedro I., and of the late Em
press, Donna Maria-Leopoldina-Josefa-Carolina, arch
duchess of Austria. The most excellent president of
this Assembly having offered the Emperor a missal,
the latter laid his hand upon it, and recited in an audi
ble voice the following constitutional oath : — ' I swear
to maintain the Roman Catholic Apostolic religion,
and the integrity and indivisibility of the empire ; to
observe, and to cause to be observed, the constitution
and the laws of the Brazilian nation, and to promote
the general well being of Brazil by every means in my
power.' Wherefore, in perpetual memory of this event,
duplicates of this document are signed and wit
nessed," <fcc. &c.
Vol. II.— 46 2 F

362 PROCLAMATION OF THE ASSEMBLY.
The proclamation already drafted by Antonio Carlos,
and approved by the Assembly, was now uttered :
" Brazilians ! — The General Legislative Assembly
of Brazil, recognizing that happy intellectual develop
ment with which it has pleased Divine Providence to
endow his Imperial Majesty Don Pedro IL, recognizing
also, the inherent evils which attach themselves to an
unsettled government ; witnessing, moreover, the una
nimous desire of the people of this capital, which it
believes to be in perfect accordance with the desire of
the whole empire, viz. to confer upon our august mo
narch the powers which the constitution secures to him ;
therefore, in view of such important considerations, this
body has, for the well being of the country, seen fit to
declare the majority of Don Pedro IL, so that he may
enter at once upon the full exercise of his powers as
constitutional Emperor and perpetual defender of Bra
zil. Our august monarch has just taken in our pre
sence the solemn oath required by the constitution.
"Brazilians! The hopes of the nation are converted
into reality. A new era has dawned upon us. May it
be one of uninterrupted union and prosperity. May we
prove worthy of so great a blessing!"
After the ceremonies of the occasion had been com
plied with, his Majesty proceeded to the city palace,
accompanied by the national guards and the people.
In the evening a numerous and brilliant cortejo took
place, and the joy of the whole city was manifested by
a spontaneous but almost universal illumination.
To the astonishment of every one, the revolution
was now complete. The regency was abolished. Per
fect tranquillity prevailed ; and Don Pedro IL, the boy
who, when six years old, had been acclaimed sovereign

NEW MINISTRY. 363
of one of the largest empires in the world, was now, at
fourteen and a half, invested with all the prerogatives
of his imperial throne.
On the twenty-fourth day of July, the new ministry
was organized in the following order : —
Departments. Ministers.
Empire, - Antonio Carlos Ribeiro d' Andrada
Machado.
Finance, - Martin Francisco Ribeiro d' Andrada.
Foreign Affairs, Aureliano de Souza Oliveira Coutinho.
Justice, - Antonio Paulino Limpo d' Abreo.
Marine, - Antonio Francisco de Paula Hollanda
Cavalcanti.
War, - Francisco de Paula Cavalcanti d' Al
buquerque.
On the twenty-sixth; a Te Deum was celebrated in
the imperial chapel, in commemoration of the late
events. It was followed by a levee in the palace, at
which the diplomatic corps complimented the Emperor in
the following address, delivered by the Baron of Rouen,
minister of France, and the senior member of that body.
"Senhor: — The members of the diplomatic corps,
accredited at this court, have the honor to present you
the homage of their profound respect.
"It is with the deepest solicitude that they come, on
this memorable day, to mingle their congratulations
with those of your own subjects that have already been
presented before your throne, and to express, in behalf
of the sovereigns and the governments which they have
the honor respectively to represent, those desires which
they will never cease to cherish for the glory of your
reign, for the happiness of your august family, and for
the prosperity of Brazil."

364 ADDRESS OF THE SENATE.
Congratulations, expressed in similar terms, now be
came the order of the day. Every society, every public
institution, every province, and nearly every towrt, from
the capital to the circumference of the empire, hasten
ed, on the reception of the news, not only to celebrate
the event with extravagant rejoicing, but also to send
a deputation, to utter, in the presence of the Emperor,
their most profound sentiments of joy at his elevation
to the sovereignty, and their cherished hopes of his
prosperity and happiness.
As specimens of the style and the sentiments used
on these occasions, the reader is presented with two
translations. The first is the official address of the
senate, presented to his Majesty by a special deputa
tion on the twenty-eighth of July.
"Senhor: — The senate, impelled by the most ele
vated patriotism, transported with the most sincere
pleasure, in view of the favor which your imperial
Majesty has just condescended to confer upon the em
pire, by entering at once upon the full exercise of your
inalienable rights, has sent us in solemn deputation to
congratulate your imperial Majesty upon the memora
ble event which fills your Majesty's subjects with con
fidence and delight.
"If Brazil has received, from your renowned ances
tors, since the days of king Don Manoel, benefits, which,
progressively increasing up to the time when the cry
of independence was first uttered at Ypiranga by the
hero of both the Old and New Worlds, enabled her at
length to become a free nation, much stronger hopes
of future glory do the Brazilians discover, in the pa
triotism of your imperial Majesty.
"Divine Providence has endowed you with a great

emperor's REPLY. 365
and a magnanimous heart ; and in his eternal wisdom
has destined you to rule over the empire of Santa Cruz.
He, for our greater good, has in a wonderful manner
overruled the late unlooked-for events, so as to bring
your Majesty before your subjects like a brilliant sun
emerging from portentous clouds, and causing unmin-
gled happiness.
"May the government of your imperial Majesty
serve as a polar star, to illumine all America, and to
guide the inhabitants of this great continent in the path
of order and of true glory! Deign, therefore, to re
ceive kindly the sincere well-wishes of the senate —
they are those of the nation itself. Heaven grant, that
the precious days of your imperial Majesty may run on
through many and happy years, so that national liberty
may be* maintained, and the true prosperity of the
empire may be established."
To this fulsome panegyric, his Majesty modestly
replied : —
"I am very grateful for the sentiments which the
senate expresses in view of my having assumed the
exercise of my constitutional prerogatives.
"Gentlemen, you may assure the senate, that I shall
endeavor to satisfy the desires of the nation, by main
taining a harmony between ourselves and foreign
powers, by sustaining the constitution and laws of the
empire, and by promoting the happiness of the nation." J
In the course of a month, by the aid of steam, the
news of these events had reached Para. The provin
cial Assembly was in session, and was of course ready
for the most pompous displays of loyalty. A Te Deum
was celebrated forthwith, and an orator appointed, who
recited the following discourse : —
2*2

366 ADDRESS AT PAKA.
"Illustrious deputies! — The imperial court has just
been the theatre of an event of the most interesting
and promising character for Braz/l. The people, and
their representatives, have given to the empire and to
the world the most decisive testimony of their adhesion
to the person and throne of his Majesty Don Pedro IL,
as well as an extraordinary perception of the, wisdom
and virtues which eminently distinguish him.
" The elevation of his imperial Majesty to the throne,
is decreed by the unanimous declaration of the people
and their most worthy representatives. The fame of
this glorious event has resounded throughout the pro
vinces of the empire, and we now perceive the star of
hope beaming brightly over us.
" Gentlemen, a most important era has occurred in
the history of our nation; and as the proper organ of
the people of Para, let us employ our efforts to aid the
Emperor in the grand task of placing Brazil upon a
level with the most enlightened nations of the world."

REAL STATE OF THINGS. 367

CHAPTER XXI.
Real state of things. — Ministerial Programme. — Progress of Affairs. —
Preparations for the Coronation. — Change of Ministry. — Opposition
come into Power. — Coronation Postponed. — Finally took place
July 18th, 1841. — Splendor of the Occasion. — Financial Embarrass
ments. — Insignia. — Diplomacy. — Dissolution of the Camara. — Pretext
of Outbreaks. — Council of State. — Reforms of Criminal Code. — S.
Paulo.— Minas. — The Capital. — Restoration of Order. — Session of
the Assembly. — Imperial Marriages. — Ministerial Change. — Politics
in 1844.
One is now ready to inquire, what has become of
party spirit, and what change has really taken place,
to awaken such unbounded enthusiasm ?
The answer must be given, that party spirit is as
much alive as ever ; but, like the circumvented spider,
it is coiled up and appears to be dead, until there shall
be some prospect of successful action. A revolution has
indeed transpired ; the constitution has been trampled
under foot ; but it is a popular revolution, in accordance
with the inclination of the people, and therefore it is a
glorious event. The monarchical principle is trium
phant ; but it has become so, by means of the most pat
pable mobocracy.
On the twenty-ninth of July, Senhor Antonio Carlos
having been interrogated on the subject, made a frank
declaration of the policy and principles of the new ad
ministration. His speech on the subject was eulogized
at the time as one of the most lucid and complete par
liamentary efforts ever made in Brazil. It summed
up, in the following programme, the leading principles

368 MINISTERIAL PROGRAMME.
upon which ministerial action would be based under
the new order of things : —
1. Simplicity in the plan of collecting, and economy
in the disbursement, of the public revenues.
2. Scrupulous respect to law literally constructed,
and a total disregard of fanciful interpretations.
3. Adhesion to existing institutions, and a cautious
use of executive power.
4. Energetic opposition to the rebellion of Rio
Grande, but a disposition to listen to any overtures
from the insurgents, that may be entertained with due
respect to the national honor.
5. Conciliation of opposing parties, without any wa
vering to accommodate either.
6. Harmony of views and actions between the govern
ment and all its agents.
7. All proper means to induce harmonious action in
the two legislative bodies, but no resort to corruption
or intrigue.
8. Unanimity in the cabinet upon all questions of
moment. These certainly were safe and consistent principles ;
and from the known energy of the Andradas, together
with their associates, it may be presumed that no efforts
were spared to put them in practice.
The nation at large was perfectly exhilarated with
the idea of the glorious revolution that had transpired ;
but the legislature, tired by its recent paroxysms, soon
fell back into its old method of doing business. The
first leading measure of the opposition was the appoint
ment of a council of state, to hold the office of special
advisers to the Emperor. It became an immediate
and protracted subject of discussion, but did not sue-

PREPARATIONS FOR THE CORONATION. 369
ceed till late in the following year. Things throughout
the empire moved on in their ordinary course, save that,
when the subject of the Emperor's elevation lost its
novelty, that of his approaching coronation became the
theme of universal interest and of unbounded anticipa
tion. The early part of the year 1841 was fixed upon for
the coronation. Preparations for that event were set
on foot long in advance of the time. Expectants of
honors and emoluments attempted to rival each other
in parade and display. Extraordinary embassies were
sent out from the different courts of Europe, in compli
ment to the Brazilian throne.
While diplomatists and politicians were intent upon
sharing the honors of this occasion, the artisans and
shopkeepers of the metropolis displayed quite as much
tact in securing the profits of it. Exhorbitant prices
were demanded for every article of ornament and
luxury; but those articles had now become necessary,*
and aspiring poverty, not less than grudging avarice,.
was compelled to submit to extortion.
Before the next session of the General Assembly,
difficulties had occurred which seriously embarrassed
the administration. Several of the provinces had re
sisted the new appointments of presidents, and in so
doing had manifested tendencies to revolution. But the
most serious evil grew out of the long-standing rebel
lion in Rio Grande do Sul. In the anxiety of the cabinet
to bring this internal war to a close, Alvares Machado
had been appointed an agent of the government to
treat with the rebels. Much confidence had been re
posed in his personal influence with Bento Gonsalvez
and others, and he had been invested with extraordi-
Vol. II.— 47

370 MINISTRY DISPLACED.
nary and unconstitutional powers. But with all the
facilities offered them, the insurgents refused to com
promise. Machado was then appointed president of
the province.
In this office, instead of wielding a rod of iron, as
his predecessors had done, or had attempted to do, he
adopted conciliatory measures, and rather entreated a
negotiation. This attitude was stigmatised as dis
honorable to the empire, and such an outcry was made
about it, as to excite general alarm lest the interests
of the throne should be betrayed. This outcry was
aimed at the ministry. A change was demanded, and
was at length obtained. On the 23d of March the
Andradas and their friends, with the single exception
of Aureliano, were dismissed.
Araujo Vianna, a former tutor of the Emperor, was
appointed at the head of the new cabinet. Thus we
see, that the men who had brought about the new order
*of*things, were supplanted just in time for their oppo
nents to secure the decorations and the emoluments
that were soon to be distributed.
Mortifying as this circumstance may have been in
some of its bearings, it caused no grief to the Andra
das in view of their personal wishes. They could point
to the early days of their political prosperity, in proof
of their disinterested devotion to their country. They
could now, as then, retire in honorable poverty, pre
serving the boast of pure patriotism as a more precious
treasure than wealth or titles. Theirs was the dis
tinction that would cause posterity to inquire why they
did not receive the honors they had deserved. Other
men were welcome to the ignominy of wearing titles
they had never merited.

CORONATION POSTPONED. 371
When the General Assembly convened in May, it
was found expedient to postpone the coronation. Offices,
orders, and honors, were sought for with a meanness,
and an urgency of solicitation, at once disgraceful and
incredible. It was thought politic to keep the appli
cants in suspense, especially those who were in the
legislature. In the meantime, their votes might all be
secured. The government could make sure of its
loans and votes of credit. It could secure a pardon
for past extravagances, and an amnesty for any it might
choose to commit in future. Besides these controlling
motives, there were others of quite a frivolous nature,
that nevertheless had their weight- The imperial
crown had been sent to England for alteration, and
had not returned. One of the envoys extraordinary that
was expected had not arrived, and moreover, the har
nesses for seven state carriages were as yet unprovided.
Thus, for two months longer, the anticipated coro
nation continued to be the all-engrossing topic of
conversation and of preparation in every circle, from
the Emperor and princesses, down to the shoeless
slaves. That anxiously looked-for event transpired at
length, on the 18th of July, 1841. It was magnificent
beyond the expectations of the most sanguine. The
splendor of the day itself— the unnumbered thousands
of citizens and strangers that thronged the streets — the
tasteful and costly decorations displayed in the public
squares, and in front of private houses — the triumphal
arches — the pealing salutes of music and of cannon —
the perfect order and tranquillity that prevailed in the
public processions and ceremonies of the day, together
with nearly every thing else that could be imagined or
wished, seemed to combine and make the occasion one

372 SPLENDOR OF THE CORONATION.
of the most imposing that ever transpired in the new
world. The act of consecration was performed in the
imperial chapel, and was followed by a levee in the
palace of the city. The illuminations at evening were
of the most brilliant kind, and the festivities of the
occasion were prolonged nine successive days.
So far as pomp and parade could promote the sta
bility of a government, and secure a lasting respect
for a crown, every thing was done for Brazil on that
day, that possibly could be done without greater means
at command. There were circumstances, however,
connected with the monarchical pomp and the lavish
expenditures of this coronation, which could not fail to
be very embarrassing to those who had to struggle
with them. The finances of the empire were at the
very lowest ebb, and constantly deteriorating. The
money used in support of this grand fete, including an
expense of one hundred thousand dollars for an impe
rial crown, was borrowed, and added to an immense
public debt. In addition to this, the government was
far from being stable and settled. Its councils were
divided, and its policy vacillating. The existence of
this state of things formed a principal pretext for the
splendid demonstration alluded to. It was thought to
be an object of the first importance to surround the
throne with such a degree of splendor as would for ever
hallow it in the eyes of the people. It may be ques
tioned, however, whether this very policy, instead of
consolidating public sentiment, did not beget a morbid
fondness for scenes of extraordinary ceremonies, which
would only be satisfied with their frequent repetition.
After the coronation, the sessions of the General As
sembly were resumed. On the 23d of November a law

BERNARDO PEREIRA DE VASCONCELLOS.

INSIGNIA. 373
was passed establishing the Conselho de Estado. This
body was modelled upon the double basis of the ordi
nary and extraordinary privy council of Great Britain.
A list of the gentlemen nominated to compose this
council, together with an enumeration of the titles of
nobility conferred after the coronation, is given in the
Appendix, Vol. I. By consulting those lists, the reader
will perceive that Lima, Calmon, Carneiro Leao, and
Vasconcellos, the very individuals who opposed the
Andradas at the period of the young Emperor's eleva
tion, and who were then put down by acclamation, had,
in the short space of a year, not only managed to get
back into public favor, but also to secure life appoint
ments of the most influential kind.
Vasconcellos, it is true, sought for no titles. They
were playthings which he could easily dispense with for
the gratification of his fellow partisans. But he loved
power, and neither mortifications nor defeat deterred
him an instant from its pursuit. He finally gained a
position which probably suited his inclinations better
than any other, and in which, as the master spirit of
the body, his influence must be widely felt.
It deserves mention here, that the honorable insignia
of the coronation of Don Pedro IL, were not all con
fined to Brazilians. A general concession of orders
and stars was made to each member of the diplomatic
corps who took part in the ceremonies, and whose go
vernment allowed the acceptance of such distinctions.
The individuals prohibited sharing in these honors by
regulations of their own governments, were the British
minister, and the representatives of the sever|j|Lneri-
can republics.
On the 1st of January, 1842, Mr. Hunter, United
2G

374 CORRUPT ELECTIONS.
States charge d'affaires at Rio de Janeiro, presented
to his Majesty the Emperor his credentials as envoy
extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, to which
rank he had been advanced. This compliment was
speedily reciprocated by the appointment of the Hon.
Mr. Lisboa, the very accomplished and worthy minister
of Brazil still resident at Washington. The Brazilian
government maintains a high character in all its diplo
matic relations abroad. It spares no expense for this
object, and has hitherto had the good fortune to be
almost universally well represented.
In continuance of the present historical sketch of
Brazilian affairs, it is painful to add, that the year
1842 was marked by repeated and serious disturbances
in different parts of the empire. They commenced
with the elections for deputies. Various frauds had
been enacted, by suddenly changing the day, hour, and
places of elections. What was worse, bodies of troops
and armed men were introduced to influence votes,
while crowds of voters were brought in from other dis
tricts. In short, bribery, corruption, and force, triumph
ed over the free exercise of public opinion. It is not
to be presumed that one party was guilty of these mea
sures alone ; but it appeared in the issue, that the oppo
sition had succeeded, and that the ministerial party
was in the minority. A change of administration
would have been an immediate consequence of the regu
lar opening of the session on the 3d of May. This the
ministry resolved to resist. They accordingly drew up
solemn papers, advising the Emperor to dissolve the
chambeF of deputies, urging, that on account of the
illegality of the elections, it could not be a constitu
tional body. The preparatory session was held as

PRETEXT OF OUTBREAKS. 375
usual, and proceeded in the reception of credentials,
with no great scruple as to the manner in which they
had been obtained.
This circumstance gave plausibility to the plea urged
by the ministers. In pursuance of the plan they had
marked out, his Majesty was not suffered to go before
the Assembly to open its regular session. A decree
was now issued providing for new elections, and an
extraordinary session, to commence on the first of
January following. The members separated without
tumult ; but the month of May had not gone by before
the alarms of rebellion were heard in parts of the em
pire where they had never before been heard or
scarcely dreaded.
The pretexts of the new outbreaks, were not so much
the violence exercised by the ministry in the dissolution
of the legislature, as complaints against the organiza
tion of the council of state, and certain changes which
had recently been adopted in the criminal code of the
empire. The former, it was urged, would embarrass
the Emperor and effectually tie his hands, while it
would enable the favorites of the dominant party to
revel upon the funds of the nation, and to promote their
personal views and interests at the expense of the peo
ple, and beyond the possibility of change. The latter
savored of tyranny more than of justice, since it sacri
ficed the rights of citizens, and placed them completely
at the mercy of those in power.
The government, on the other hand, urged that the
council of state was necessary to strengthen the moral
power of decisions that might emanate from the throne ;
to shield the monarch by aid of its responsirjility ; to
enlighten his views by experience and advice ; to estab-

376 REBELLION.
lish a consistent and permanent system of government,
and by its perpetuity, to counterbalance the evils of
frequent ministerial changes. The reforms of the
criminal code were no less called for, both as a means
of punishing men guilty of high crimes, and of main
taining order against the agitations of factious indivi
duals and parties, by which local influences were so
often made to oppose the interests of the general go
vernment. The first notes of actual rebellion were sounded in
the province of S. Paulo. Plans seemed to have been
concerted for a most extensive outbreak, and the news
of the dissolution of the General Assembly served as a
signal for action. About the middle of May a move
ment was made at Sorocaba, in which Senhor Raphael
Tobias was acclaimed president, in opposition to the
Baron of Monte alegre, his legitimate successor in
office. Almost simultaneously with this event the rebel
lion manifested itself in the extreme portions of the
province, north, south, and west. The general govern
ment made a desperate effort to repress these disorders
at once, but before they were disposed of, notice
arrived of similar outbreaks in Minas Geraes. In the
latter province they spread with frightful rapidity, first
along the borders of the province of Rio de Janeiro,
and then throughout the most populous districts of the
interior. The capital was thrown into the utmost con
sternation by these events. What was most alarming
was the rumored existence of the prime instigators of
the rebellion in the city itself, under the very shadow
of the throne.
It was believed that schemes were concocted for a
revolutionary movement at the very seat of govern-

RESTORATION OF ORDER. 377
ment. Indeed, on the 17th of June, an incendiary pro
clamation was posted up at the corners of the streets,
calling upon the people to free the Emperor from the
domination which had been imposed upon him, and
to rescue both the throne and the constitution from
threatened annihilation.
The government was now driven to extreme mea
sures. The militia was called out, and martial law
was proclaimed in the three disturbed provinces. An
imperial proclamation was issued, declaring that the
supremacy of the laws must be maintained at all ha
zards, and calling upon the disaffected to lay down
their arms. Nineteen persons, in the capital, were
arrested on suspicion, and several of them were banish
ed the empire without form of trial.
About the same time revolutionary movements of a
somewhat different character took place in Pernam
buco and Ceara. The prospects of the empire were,
for a short time, very gloomy and unpromising; but,
by degrees, the storm blew over. Order was gradually
restored without actual hostilities, or the loss of many
lives. The worst consequences of the rebellion were
suffered in the districts where it occurred, although
public confidence, and the national revenue, suffered
severely. The elections, at the close of the year, tran
spired with more quietness than on the preceding occa
sion, and with a somewhat different result. The legis
lative chambers assembled at the appointed time, and
the process of forming the camara, and verifying the
credentials of members, was completed on the 31st of
December. On the 1st of January, 1843, the Emperor opened
the General Assembly in person, and by joining the
Vol. IL— 48 2 o 2

378 NEW MINISTRY.
ceremonies of that act with the usual levee of new-
year's day, made an occasion of uncommon splendor.
Parties had now become intermingled, and old distinc
tions were, to a considerable extent, destroyed.
A competent observer has remarked, that " parties
in Brazil are not true parties — they are factions, with
out definite system or object. Personal antipathies
and predilections spoil all sound political concert on
either side."
Notwithstanding the administration had, in a great
degree, accomplished its object, a new ministry was
appointed on the 20th of January. At this period
Aureliano was displaced. That gentleman had direct
ed the department of foreign affairs since the abolition
of the regency. He was succeeded by Soares de
Souza, the late minister of justice.
The most remarkable public events that transpired
at Rio during the year 1843, were the imperial mar
riages. As a matter of course they were celebrated
with great rejoicings and all possible splendor, but the
purpose of this work will be answered by a simple
mention of the facts, without entering into those details
which, however interesting to courtiers, and to the
multitude who may have participated in them, have
no intrinsic importance, and will be little inquired after
by posterity.
As early as July, 1842, the Emperor, Don Pedro II.,
had ratified a contract of marriage with her royal high
ness the most serene Princess Senhora Donna Thereza
Christina Maria, the august sister of his majesty the
king of the two Sicilies. The marriage was duly
solemnized at Naples, and on the 5th of March a
Brazilian squadron, composed of an elegant frigate

IMPERIAL MARRIAGES. 379
and two corvets, sailed from Rio de Janeiro to the
Mediterranean, to conduct the Empress to her future
home. In the meantime, on the 27th of March, a French
squadron arrived, under the command of his royal
highness Prince Joinville, son of Louis Phillippe, king
of France. This was Joinville's second visit to Brazil.
Soon after his arrival he made matrimonial proposi
tions, through the Baron of Langsdorff, the special
ambassador of the king of France, to her imperial high
ness Donna Francisca.* The customary negotiations
were closed with dispatch. On the 1st of May the
marriage was solemnized at Boa Vista. On the 13th
of May the prince, and his imperial bride, sailed for
Europe. The Empress, Donna Thereza, arrived at Rio on
the 3d of September, after a prosperous voyage from
Naples, and was received not only with magnificent
ceremonies, but also with sincere cordiality on the part
of the Brazilians.
It may be mentioned here, that on the 28th of April,
1844, her imperial highness Donna Januaria, was
also married to a Neapolitan prince, his highness the
Count of Aquilla, brother of the Empress of Brazil,
and of the king of the two Sicilies. Thus, in the
course of a single year, the imperial family of Brazil
cemented honorable and flattering alliances with two
of the courts of Europe.
Another change in the ministry occurred in the
early part of 1844. The regular session of the legis
lative Assembly convened on the 3d of May, and pass
ed by without any very remarkable occurrence. The
* Vide Appendix, Vol. I. p. 360.

380 SERIOUS DISTURBANCES.
same body was ordered to convene on the 1st of Janu
ary, 1845. The elections, which took place prepara
tory to this extra session, were attended with serious
disturbances in several of the provinces, particularly
in Alagoas. The president of that province, Senhor
Franco, the same individual who presided in Para
during my visit there, was driven from the city of
Maceio by a powerful body of insurgents, and forced
to seek his personal safety by embarking on board a
vessel of war that happened to be lying in the harbor.
This sketch of the current political history of Brazil
will be closed by adding a translation of an article
from the Carapuceiro, a writer whose pieces have
figured prominently in the Brazilian newspapers for
several years past. The extract will serve the double
purpose of exhibiting a specimen of the style of one
of the most popular Brazilian writers of the present
day, and also an unprejudiced delineation, under the
garb of modest satire, of things' as they are.
" THE ELECTIONS OF 1844.
"What a delicate subject! Will it be possible for
me to touch it without offending my neighbor? I
think so, if I cleave close to principles, avoiding per
sonalities. We used formerly to have a great man
among us who attributed every calamity that happen
ed to the scarcity of money. With much more reason
might we attribute most of the evils which we are suf
fering at present to our elections.
" It would appear that an election among us is a
public calamity — a grand polytechnic school of all the
arts of corruption and immorality, from base adulation
to shameless perfidy. Hence it has been well said,

THE CONSTITUTION. 381
that during the elections all guaranties of honor and
probity are suspended. How many quarrels there are,
how many threats, how many homicides even, which
would never have occurred but for the elections !
" In some countries, I am aware, the elections are
always tempestuous — parties rage and threaten dread
ful things — but the elections once over, those that have
conquered are regarded as the most lucky, and all be
come good friends again.
" Not so here. Intrigues advance, and hatred plots
revenge, which, sooner or later, breaks out with terri
ble consequences. And is it possible that a people
can become more moral while indulging such passions?
I doubt very much ; and yet I may be deceived, and
this may be some new way of polishing and civilizing
a people. Our constitution, regarded abstractly, is an
excellent document, but it would seem that Brazil was
rather simple for taking it just as it is. It now pro
hibits certain persons from holding certain kinds of
office, which circumstance causes them great grief and
inconvenience. For example, some of our judges de
sire also to be magistrates, legislators, and, in fact,
every thing else of importance, at the same moment.
It has generally happened that our legislative halls
have contained a majority of judges, magistrates, and
jurists, and what have they done? Some have con
sented, and others have assisted, to trample the fun-i
damental laws of the nation under their feet.
" Generally speaking, public functionaries are per-.
sons of all others least fit to be elected deputies, on
account of their dependence on the government ; and I
am persuaded, that if a majority in our legislative
bodies were always composed of capitalists, merchants,

382 POLITICAL EXTREMES.
and cultivators, the affairs of Brazil would be better
taken care of.
" We are a people given to extremes. Until recent
ly the legislative power embraced every thing, and the
executive was perfectly submissive to its mandates.
Since that period it has been understood that every
thing is to go into the hands of the executive. But in
both cases the representative character of our govern
ment is well nigh destroyed. Who does not know how
the elections are managed? For instance, a seat in
the senate is vacant, and a minister of the crown de
sires the office. Directly things are arranged in view
of this. Secret orders are sent to the poor province
in which the election is to occur, and electors are
chosen to suit the case. These electors servilely depo
sit their ballots, and the intrigante is chosen a sena
tor. Can this be the free choice of the people ? Some
think that such cabals are inseparable from the repre
sentative form of government. But I disbelieve it.
At first it was not so among us.
" The free choice by the people of their representa
tives, is the only democratic element in our political
organization. If this is taken away, and the elections
become mere instruments to carry out the ambition
and caprices of those in power, what becomes of the
so much vaunted will of the nation? If these things
are to be so, it were better to abandon pretensions,
to lay aside hypocrisy, and to return at once to abso
lutism, under which all power belongs to the govern
ment. Alas, for the poor people ! They are flattered with
sweet and pleasing words, but it is only to make them
bear their burdens more quietly. They say that we

ADVICE TO VOTERS. 383
are sovereigns, but in what does our sovereignty con
sist? Alas, alas! — in the privilege of paying tributes
of blood and money, of saying our prayers at the time
of the elections, and of keeping silence under every
injury on pain of punishment ! !
" If I could address a word to the voters of my
country I would say, choose for your representatives
those men who are the sincere and constant friends
of monarchy and the constitution, but who, at the same
time, give guaranties of their love of order, and a de
sire to promote the moral, as well as physical, welfare
of the community. Seek deputies who will resist the
encroachments of power, and who will cleave to honesty
and justice, trampling under foot the chains of party
bondage."

384 THE JESUITS.

CHAPTER XXII.
Indians. — Jesuits. — Survey of the Empire. — Its Position. — Extent. —
Influences of the Mother Country. — Finances. — Lack of Population.
— Immigration. — Defective Policy. — The Slave Trade. — Treaty with
England. — Education. — Obstacles. — Literature. — Language. — Reli
gion, — Prospects.
When this work was commenced, the author ex
pected to devote at least a chapter to the Indians of
Brazil, and another to the history of the Jesuits, and
their operations within the boundaries of that empire.
In view of his limits, he can now simply say, that both
those subjects are deeply interesting, and at the same
time intimately connected with each other. No part of
the New World was more densely overspread with abo
riginal population than was Brazil at the period of its
discovery. It is believed that there were not less than
two hundred distinct tribes existing upon its soil. Some
of these were very powerful in war, while their lan
guage and customs were entirely peculiar.
The Jesuits were the only men who ever made sys
tematic and zealous exertions for their improvement.
They entered this field when their prosperity was at
its meridian, and they found it sufficiently ample for
their most enlarged ambition. Notwithstanding the
extravagance of their fables, and the more than doubt
ful policy which they generally found it convenient to
employ, yet they practised many real virtues ; and when
we compare their character with that of the other rival
orders, and behold them repeatedly mobbed and per
secuted on account of their opposition to vice and

THEIR EXPULSION. 385
cruelty, we cannot withhold from them a degree of
respect. For about two hundred years from the first esta
blishment of their order in Brazil, they labored zeal
ously and with varied success in every part of the
country, from the thickets of the Upper Amazon to the
plains of Piratininga. They were repeatedly expelled
from some of the cities and provinces, but they as often
recovered favor and returned. Finally, the great effort
made for their overthrow succeeded. No person had
a more powerful agency in that movement than the
Marquis of Pombal, the prime minister of Portugal,
and nowhere were the decrees against the Jesuits
executed with more rigor and even cruelty than in
Brazil, under his instructions. Not only were all their
possessions confiscated and the members of the order
banished, but they were seized in person, and thrown
into prison without ceremony or mercy. Finally, not
less than four hundred and eighty of them were simul
taneously transported from different ports along the
coast. They were crowded into the holds of vessels,
like negroes into a slave-ship. Those who succumbed
to these hardships were neither allowed the common
alleviations of sickness, nor, what they more desired,
the sacrament In the hour of death. Those who sur
vived the passage were immured in the dungeons of
Portugal, from which many of them never emerged.
After the numerous details which this work contains
upon almost every topic relating to Brazil, and its dif
ferent provinces, it is now only necessary, in conclu
sion, to take a brief survey of the empire.
The favorable position, and the vast extent of the
Brazilian empire, must always secure for it a promi-
Vol. II.— 49 2 H

386 SURVEY OF THE EMPIRE.
nent place in the eyes of the world. Indeed, few na
tions can enter into comparison with it in either of
these respects. Brazil stands out upon the eastern
shore of South America as the great way-mark of the
Southern Atlantic. It commands equal access to Eu
rope and the United States. Africa and the West
Indies are its neighbors ; while the voyage from its
principal ports to Southern Asia and the islands of the
Indian Ocean, is shorter by ten or twelve thousand
miles than from either Liverpool or New York. At
the same time, Brazil embraces nearly half of all South
America, covering an area considerably greater than
that of the United States with their territories, and
equal to six-sevenths of all Europe.
The internal resources of the empire are commen
surate with its favored position and its wide, extent.
It is neither the gold of its mines, nor the diamonds
that sparkle in the beds of its inland rivers, that con
stitute the greatest sources of its available wealth.
Although nature has bestowed upon Brazil the most
precious minerals, yet she has been still more prodigal
in the gift of vegetable riches. Embracing the whole
latitude of the southern torrid, and ten degrees of the
southern temperate zone, and stretching its longitude
from Cape St. Augustine, the easternmost point of the
continent, across the mountains of its own interior to
the very feet of the Andes, its soil and its climate offer
an asylum to almost every valuable plant. In addition
to numberless varieties of indigenous growth, there is
scarcely a production of either India which might not
be naturalized in great perfection under or near the
Equator ; while its interior uplands, and its soil in the
far south, welcome many of the grains and hardier
vegetables of Europe.

INFLUENCES OF THE MOTHER COUNTRY. 387
Not only does Brazil embrace whatever is beautiful,
whatever is luxuriant, and whatever is magnificent in
nature, but it enjoys a pleasant and a salubrious cli
mate. There prevails, throughout its whole extent, a
degree of healthfulness unknown in the parallel lati
tudes of Africa; and, at the same time, an exemption
from earthquakes, which the treasures of Chili and
Peru, on the opposite coast of South America, can but
poorly compensate.
Within such limits, and occupying such a position,
we find established the only monarchy existing in the
New World. Here is enthroned a branch of the dynasty
of Portugal. Portugal, one of the smallest kingdoms
of Europe, has here given her language and her people
to a country seventy-seven times larger than herself.
It is impossible to appreciate the present condition
of Brazil, without taking into view the influences of the
mother country. Notwithstanding the wealth and glory
of Portugal during the short period of her maritime
supremacy, there are but few countries in Europe less
fitted to become the model of a prosperous state in
modern times. In whatever light we consider Portu
gal, or her institutions, we find them altogether behind
the spirit of the age. Yet that country, as insignificant
in size as it is indifferent in condition, held nearly half
of South America under the iron sway of colonial
bondage from the period of its discovery until 1822.
The short space of twenty-three years is all that
Brazil has yet enjoyed for the great object of establish
ing her character as an independent nation. During that
period, she has had to contend with great and almost
numberless difficulties. A large proportion of the in
habitants were persons born or educated in Portugal,

388 IMPROVEMENT.
and consequently imbued with the narrow views and
the illiberal feelings so common to the Portuguese.
The laws, the modes of doing business, as well as of
thinking and of acting, that universally prevailed, were
Portuguese. All these required decided renovation, in
order to suit the circumstances of a new empire rising
into being during the progress of the nineteenth century.
Such a renovation is not the work of a day ; and
if it should appear that as yet it has only properly
commenced, still the Brazilian nation will stand before
the world as deserving the highest credit. She has
broken off bonds that had remained riveted upon her
for ages. She has advanced, from a degrading colonial
servitude, to a high and honorable position among the
nations of the earth. What is, perhaps, still better,
she cherishes a desire for improvement. She directs a
vigilant eye towards other nations — she observes the
working of their different institutions, and manifests a
disposition to adopt those which are truly excellent, as
far and as fast as they can be adapted to her circum
stances. Brazil is suffering at the present time most severely
from two causes. 1. The crippled and deteriorating
state of her finances. 2. The lack of a free and intel
ligent population, corresponding in number to the ex
tent of her territory.
These evils are, in some degree, common in their
origin. The revenues of the empire are almost entirely
the product of heavy duties upon commerce. Unfor
tunately, the nation has no manufactures to call for her
tariff as a means of protection. Hence, her duties
upon imports constitute a direct tax upon internal
consumption, while the duties upon exports embarrass

FINANCES. 389
her trade abroad. Thus agriculture is doubly oppress
ed, and the immense resources of the country remain
undeveloped. Were there no other means of providing for the ex
penses of government, it would, perhaps, be idle to
dwell upon this ruinous process, unless it were to com
ment upon it as a necessary evil. But is there no
possibility of raising a revenue for Brazil from the sale
of public lands? Millions upon millions of acres re
main as yet unappropriated, notwithstanding the utter
carelessness with which the richest and most valuable
portions of the public domain have hitherto been yield
ed to the ownership of whomsoever might incline to
take possession of it. Might not government surveys
be instituted, and the whole country brought under
legal demarkation ? Hitherto, not one-fiftieth part of
it was ever surveyed; and even in some populous
districts great uncertainty respecting boundaries still
exists. But what advantages could result from these
surveys, unless foreign immigration were encouraged?
Comparatively few indeed.
This, however, is another step essential to the pros
perity of Brazil ; -and the sooner the nation is aroused
to its importance the better. Without the aid of im
migration, ages if not centuries must yet elapse, be
fore the capacities of that great country will be fairly
exhibited. In fact, it may be doubted, whether the
perpetuated slave-trade, and the increase of the slave
population, will not, without such a balance, reduce the
free inhabitants to the condition of a dependent mino
rity. Yet some Brazilian statesmen seem to think that
wonders have been already accomplished towards en
couraging immigration. Improvements have been
2 h 2

390 IMMIGRATION.
made, it is true, upon the old absolute system, accord
ing to which, foreigners in former years were scarcely
allowed to set foot on the soil. But those improve
ments are exceedingly limited. If it be not so, whence
arises the necessity of hiring Europeans to settle in
one of the most inviting sections of the new world ?
And why is it, that the number of immigrants landing
yearly in all the ports of Brazil, from all causes com
bined, is not equal to the average monthly arrivals in
the single port of New York? The answer is at hand.
There are radical defects in the policy of the country on
this subject ; defects which must be fundamentally re
medied, before the population or the prosperity of Brazil
can ever be increased to any considerable degree by
accession from abroad.
I will not discuss the question whether emigration to
a monarchical government in the New World can ever
be popular with the poorer classes of Europe. It is
sufficient to remark, that if the subjects of monarchies
are particularly partial to the institutions under which
they have been reared, it would be natural to suppose
that they would prefer finding similar institutions,
rather than a republican government, wherever they
might wish to go.
Unpleasant as it is to make the remark, yet it is true,
that the present regulations of the Brazilian govern
ment upon this subject, tend rather to forbid than to
invite immigration. They are jealous, illiberal, and
degrading. The only people who can submit to them
are the poor, ignorant, and too often vicious inhabi
tants of the Portuguese islands, to whose circumstances
and habits they seem to be specially adapted.
One would naturally suppose that the Catholic Irish

DEFECTIVE POLICY. 391
would prefer emigrating to a Catholic country, rather
than to a land settled by Protestant pilgrims. Facts
do not corroborate this supposition, but on the con
trary, they indicate that the Catholic emigrant finds
more toleration among Protestants, than he can even
in a country professing his own faith. Various schemes,
both private and public, have been set on foot to en
courage emigration to Brazil, but they will all prove
abortive until the principles of perfect toleration pre
vail in the country. I am aware that the constitution
nominally tolerates all religions, and that very liberal
feelings are cherished by enlightened and well-educated
Brazilians generally. Nevertheless, the lower classes
of the people, particularly the Portuguese and their
immediate descendants, have a great amount of na
tional prejudice and inherent bigotry to conquer before
the position of foreign settlers among them would be
at all pleasant.
Again, there seems to have been a preference hither
to given to the plan of settling foreigners in distinct
communities, and not of encouraging them to inter
mingle with the inhabitants. That this plan is defec
tive is manifest, from the circumstance that few or
none of these colonies have prospered. Besides, no
thing is more evidently lacking in all parts of Brazil
than a sufficient number of practical, industrious me
chanics. An accession to this class of inhabitants from
almost any nation, would greatly elevate the condition
of internal improvements, and advance the common
interests of the country. The day is infinitely to be
desired when Brazil shall be able to dispense with
special exemptions, and what is worse, lotteries, as
means of promoting the common arts of life, such as

392 THE SLAVE TRADE.
the manufacture of varnished leather, of soap, of can
dles, and of the rearing of bees ! But whether that
day will be seen while the present system of slavery
exists, is quite problematical.
It is generally known, that notwithstanding all laws,
regulations, conventions, and treaties, the slave trade
is still carried on between the coast of Africa and
Brazil. The British cruisers during the last few years
have taken great numbers of prizes on both coasts ;
but though they should continue to do so, it is to be
feared that the horrid traffic will still be continued,
until new and more efficient measures shall be devised
for putting it down.
So long as Baltimore clippers are constructed ex
pressly for this trade — so long as British capitalists
furnish funds or credits to sustain it — and so long as
Brazilian authorities openly and covertly wink at the
nefarious business, how can it fail to go forward ?
When such extensive interests are combined in the
expectation of securing extravagant gains, it must be
evident that no ordinary power can break up the
wicked coalition. It would not be difficult for me to
give thrilling details of the horrors that result from
what may be denominated the modern refinements of
the slave trade. But this is not my subject. I will
simply remark, that could Brazilian planters and citi
zens be persuaded of their true interest in connection
with this matter — could the Brazilian government de
termine to take an unwavering stand in opposition to
the traffic — and finally, could its various public officers
persuade themselves to run the risk of threatened as
sassination rather than receive the bribes of the slave-
dealers, there would be hope of its final extinction.

TREATY WITH ENGLAND. 393
Until these objects are in some good degree accom
plished, there will still be found some method of evading
laws and escaping penalties.
The established commercial relations of Brazil are
not all of a character the most profitable to herself.
England, by a policy of which she is mistress, has made
herself quite at home in this portion of the New World.
Her citizens have their churches, their burying grounds,
their courts, their post office, their steam packet and
gold mining companies, and an extensive monopoly of
manufactured goods. English funds, moreover, regu
late the exchanges and govern the currency. Not
withstanding all this, England receives scarcely any
Brazilian produce, but exports whatever specie may
be found in the country for the liquidation of her claims.
The Brazilians have long been dissatisfied with this
state of things, but had no remedy until the late expi
ration of the treaty between the two countries.
Previous to that event, the English government sent
out the Hon. H. Ellis, with special powers to negotiate
a new treaty. His mission was unsuccessful. The
Brazilian government soon after reciprocated it with a
similar result. The consequences are, that for the pre
sent, the two nations will conduct their business upon
the terms of common reciprocity, without a treaty. The
Brazilian government has taken occasion to increase
its tariff upon English goods, but whether in the end it
will gain by this arrangement remains to be seen.
The subject of education in Brazil is one of great
and increasing interest. In the new system of school
instruction, the French model has been generally fol
lowed. Having already described institutions of the
Vol. IL— 50

394 EDUCATION.
various grades, from the primary school to the law uni
versity, it will now be sufficient to remark, that a great
degree of improvement upon the former state of things
is already manifest, but at the same time the work of
educational reform has only commenced. The govern
ment has adopted a liberal policy on this subject, but
unhappily its measures are not in all respects the most
judicious. To instance a single point, the schools are
supported by direct annual appropriations from the
funds of the several provinces, save those which fall
under the supervision of the general government, to
wit, the law universities and the schools of the capital.
Hence there is a liability 'to fluctuation in the amounts
appropriated. While at the same time, the people
being constrained to bear the burden in the shape of
an involuntary tax, have none of their sympathies en
listed in favor of the schools, and too often neglect to
avail themselves of their advantages when established.
In no instance is there a public fund to meet the ex
penses of education. How easy it would be, even now,
to appropriate lands for this object, which, as they be
come settled and increased in value, would form a per
petual and ever enlarging source of income, sacredly
devoted to the single purpose of education.
It cannot be out of place to suggest to the Brazilians
the very efficient system now in successful operation in
the United States, as one well adapted to their circum
stances, and capable of being made to promote their
interests beyond the possibility of calculation. In all
the provinces it is complained that there is a great lack
of competent teachers. This deficiency has every pros
pect of continuing until more liberal salaries are paid
for their services, even though the normal schools

OBSTACLES. 395
should be more successful than they have hitherto
been. Those young men who become qualified for the
important task of instruction, will turn their attention
to more lucrative employments.
Another serious obstacle to the progress of educa
tion in Brazil, is the almost universal deficiency of
suitable school books. Throughout some portions of
the interior, children are taught to read from manu
scripts. Printed matter is very rare, and generally
very indifferent. A newspaper or a book that finds its
way to the school, virtually becomes public property,
and is passed from hand to hand as an acquisition from
which all, by the common laws of humanity, are entitled
to expect some benefit.
In addition to what has already been mentioned, it
is to be feared that education in Brazil meets with the
most serious embarrassments in the spirit and habits
of large portions of the people. They have not been
trained up to appreciate the importance of mental cul
tivation. Their tastes have been formed after the
model of other times. Their highest ambition of in
tellectual enjoyment is associated with the dull excite
ments of the festas. What is more degrading still, they
are many of them under spiritual subjection to men
who are jealous of improvement, and who resist efforts
in its behalf as dreadful innovations.
A priest, residing in one of the most prominent cities
of the empire, and indeed, exercising his functions be
neath the very shadow of one of the universities, was
heard to say, "Ndo gosto de livros; gosto mais de jo-
gar"  «I have no relish for books; I like gaming
better." In corroboration of these remarks, is the

396 LITERATURE.
language of a distinguished Brazilian statesman, ut
tered before the imperial legislature :—
"As it respects the civilization of the Brazilian
people, properly speaking, almost nothing, unfortu
nately, has been done, A narrow strip on the coast is
that which alone enjoys the benefits of civilization,
while in the interior our people are still to a great
degree enveloped in the greatest barbarism." In im
mediate connection with this remark, the same gentle
man added : " We have been unable to do any thing,
and nothing can be accomplished without the aid of a
moral and intelligent clergy."
Notwithstanding the gloomy picture sketched in these
brief but just intimations', there is much room to hope
for Brazil on the score of education. The school
master is abroad in the empire ; the press is at work,
and thousands of the citizens, those who have been
educated at home and abroad, are awake to the im
portance of both those means of public enlightenment.
The history of Brazilian literature is brief; yet under
the circumstances in which it has sprung up, that lite
rature must be considered creditable. Of all that has
been written in the Portuguese language within the last
hundred years, Brazil has produced her full proportion
of what is meritorious. Without entering into details
upon this point, it is sufficient to mention the names
of Caldas and Magalhaens, in the department of poe
try; Moraes in philology; and the Andradas in science
and philosophy. Within the last few years there has
been a decided and promising movement at the capital
in behalf of literature and the diffusion of useful
knowledge. Several institutions have sprung up which

LANGUAGE. 397
it is hoped will exert a salutary and an extensive in
fluence. It must, perhaps, be considered as a misfortune to
Brazil in a literary point of view, that her language is
the Portuguese. A prejudice against that language
prevails extensively among foreign nations. Although
that prejudice is in a great degree unjust, yet it will
not soon be overcome. Hitherto the meagerness of
Portuguese literature, if it has not originated the sen
timent alluded to, has at least strengthened it. The
learned have seldom been induced to form that acquaint
ance with the language which is essential to an appre
ciation of its real merits. Those who have formed
that acquaintance, accord to it high praises. Mr.
Southey, for example, has declared it to be "inferior
to no modern speech," and to contain " some of the
most original and admirable works that he had ever
perused." This being the fact, if the Brazilians shall
develop the genius and the application necessary to
such a result, they may yet, by creating a literature
worthy of themselves, secure the respect and admira
tion of the world.
A French writer, M. Denis, has attempted to show,
that the influence of the climate and scenery of Brazil
is peculiarly calculated to inspire sublimity of thought,
and to promote power of imagination. There is, per
haps, no country whose literary enterprises would be
looked upon with more favor, both in the Old World
and the New. Hence, every motive that an honor
able ambition can inspire, is presented to Brazilian
scholars. Notwithstanding so little is known of the Portuguese
21

398 TEMPERANCE.
language to certain classes of the literati, it prevails
wherever there are or have been settlements of that
nation ; not only in Brazil and the Portuguese islands,
but along the coasts of Africa and India, from Guinea
to the Cape of Good Hope, and from the Cape of
Good Hope to the sea of China, extending over almost
all the islands of the Malayan Archipelago.
How interesting it would be to witness light and
truth radiating from Brazil, and spreading their influ
ences to each of those distant climes ! Before such an
event can be reasonably anticipated, important changes
must take place in the moral and religious condition
of the country.
In connection with this allusion to public morals, it
is proper to say, that the Brazilians are, in general, a
temperate people. Although the use of wine is com
mon among them, wherever it can be procured — and
although cachassa, one of the worst species of alcoho
lic drinks, is almost as common as water — yet public
drunkenness is rarely witnessed in Brazil, unless it be
among foreign sailors who visit the ports. That intem
perance prevails quite too much, both in high life and
low, cannot be doubted ; nevertheless it exists within
such limits as to render it less destructive than it is in
many nations.
On few subjects do Brazilian writers, of all classes,
express themselves with greater unanimity of opinion
than respecting the state of religion in the country.
People and ecclesiastics, officers of state, men of busi
ness, and politicians, all agree in representing the con
dition and prospects of religion as low and unpro
mising.

ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS. 399
Monasticism is on the decline — the number of secu
lar priests is diminishing — the churches are falling into
ruin, and the spirit and principles of infidelity are
already disseminated far and wide ! All this in a coun
try peopled by the descendant* of the inquisitors, and
in which, from the period of its discovery, Roman Ca
tholicism has held an undisputed predominance.
The following statements are translated from the
report of the minister of justice and ecclesiastical
affairs, addressed to the imperial legislature of 1843 : —
" The state of retrogression into which our clergy
are falling is notorious. The necessity of adopting
measures to remedy such an evil is also evident. On
the 9th of September, 1842, the government addressed
inquiries on this subject to the bishops and capitular
vicars. Although complete answers have not been
received from all of them, yet the following particulars
are certified.
" The lack of priests who will dedicate themselves
to the cure of souls, or who even offer themselves as
candidates, is surprising. In the province of Para
there are parishes which, for twelve years and up
wards, have had no pastor. The district of the river
Negro, containing some fourteen settlements, has but
one priest ; while that of the river Solimoens is in simi
lar circumstances. In the three comarcas of Belem,
the Upper and the Lower Amazon, there are thirty-
six vacant parishes. In Maranham twenty-five churches
have, at different times, been advertised as open for
applications, without securing the offer of a single can
didate. " The bishop of S. Paulo affirms the same thing

400 GENERAL DECLENSION.
respecting vacant churches in his diocese, and it is no
uncommon experience elsewhere. In the diocese of
Cuyaba not a single church is provided with a settled
curate, and those priests who officiate as stated sup
plies, treat the bishop's efforts to instruct and improve
them with great indifference.
" In the bishopric of Rio de Janeiro most of the
churches are supplied with pastors, but a great num
ber of them only temporarily. This diocese embraces
four provinces, but during nine years past not more
than five or six priests have been ordained per year.
"It maybe observed, that the numerical ratio of
those priests who die, or become incompetent through
age and infirmity, is two to one of those who receive
ordination. Even among those who are ordained, few
devote themselves to the pastoral work. They either
turn their attention to secular pursuits, as a means of
securing greater conveniences, emoluments, and respect,
or they look out for chaplaincies, and other situations,
which offer equal or superior inducements, without
subjecting them to the literary tests, the trouble and
the expense necessary to secure an ecclesiastical be
nefice. " This is not the place to investigate the causes of
such a state of things, but certain it is, that no per
sons of standing devote their sons to the priesthood.
Most of those who seek the sacred office are indio-ent
persons, who, by their poverty, are often prevented
from pursuing the requisite studies. Without doubt a
principal reason why so few devote themselves to eccle
siastical pursuits, is to be found in the small income
allowed them. Moreover, the perquisites established

SPECULATION ON TITHES. 401
as the remuneration of certain clerical services, have
resumed the voluntary character which they had in
primitive times, and the priest who attempts to coerce
his parishioners into the payment of them almost al
ways renders himself odious, and gets little or nothing
for his trouble."
The regulations under which the clergy of Brazil
are now suffering, were established as far back as
1752. By a royal decree of that date, all the tithes
of the Portuguese ultra marine possessions were secu
larized, being made payable to the state, while the
state became responsible for the support of the clergy.
The obvious reason for this regulation was the dis
covery that the state could support the church much
cheaper than the church would support itself, while the
tithes remained at the disposal of the priesthood. This
was too fine an opportunity for speculation to be ne
glected by a government crippled and degraded for
lack of funds, and, at the same time, having the power
to exercise its pleasure.
The arrangement proved no less profitable than con
venient ; and • once being established, could not be
changed. The government put the priests on short
allowance, and fixed their salaries at fifty, eighty, and
one hundred milreis — sums which have been lessening
ever since, by a depreciation of the currency. Efforts
have been made in Brazil, since the era of independ
ence, to raise the stipend of the clergy, and they have
been nominally successful, although the present, salary
of two hundred milreis, is scarcely more valuable than
the sum of one hundred formerly was.
That the scanty emoluments of the clergy have had
Vol. II.— 51 2 i 2

402 RELIGIOUS WANTS.
the effect to lessen the number of incumbents, there
can be no doubt; but that they have, on the whole,
been productive of injury in any form, is not so evi
dent, since, as the archbishop of Bahia once remarked,
"It is better to have no priests, than to have those
who are ignorant and immoral." Indeed, that clergy,
whose ranks are kept full, chiefly by the enticements
of filthy lucre, is a curse rather than a blessing to any
country. It may be safely said, that at the present time Bra
zil is in want of nothing more than pious, self-denying
ministers of the Gospel, men who, like the apostle to
the Gentiles, will not count their lives dear unto them
selves that they might win souls to Christ. And is it
too much to hope, that God in his providence will raise
up such men in his own way, especially when we reflect
that his own word, which shall not return unto him
void, has already been scattered through the land, and
put in the hands of hundreds of its most promising
youth !
The political advantages that would result from the
labors of such men, would be of incalculable import
ance. A distinguished member of the house of depu
ties said in a speech before that body: "So much
confidence have I in the influence of religion, that I
am persuaded, that the best army we could send to
those who are now in a state of rebellion, were a pre
late full of meekness and of the spirit of the Gospel,
accompanied by priests worthy of the name. Then I
am sure, that those people who are now so near the
borders of half-civilized life, would become better Bra
zilians than they are." This modest intimation alludes

GOVERNMENT. 403
to a subject of infinite importance to Brazil. Unless
some moral influences more powerful than those hither
to employed, shall be brought to bear upon vast por
tions of the inhabitants, it is impossible to say when
disorders may not spring up, or where they may ter
minate. It requires no special partiality for monarchical
principles to enable any candid observer to perceive,
that the present form of government in Brazil, is better
adapted to the state and circumstances of the country,
than a republican government could be. If arguments
were needed to sustain this opinion, they might be
drawn from a comparison of the history and condition
of Brazil with that of any or of all the Spanish Ameri
can republics. While they have been rent asunder
with internal strife, and while blood, carnage, and re
volution have not ceased to be the order of the day
within them, since the moment they first aspired after
a degree of liberty which they so little comprehended,
and which they were so poorly qualified to enjoy ; Brazil
has remained united, and, with comparatively slight
exceptions, has pursued her onward course with in
creasing prosperity.
Nevertheless, elements of disorder exist in Brazil,
which have the terrible capacity, unless effectually
restrained, of starting into action, and, by their ruinous
progress, throwing her fairest prospects into gloom, if
not crushing for ever the power of her now flourishing
and almost idolized dynasty. Ignorance, superstition,
intolerance, and vice, are the strong bulwarks behind
which these hostile elements gather strength; and
until they can be removed by the gentle sway of know-

404 PROSPECTS. '
ledge and piety, it is idle to expect permanent pros
perity, or uninterrupted advancement in the path of
national greatness.
No existing nation is free from its difficulties and its
dangers arising from these causes ; but if there is one
nation upon the globe that might profit more than
others by a complete riddance of them at the present
juncture, that nation is the Empire of Brazil.

END of vol. n.

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