of mind, till the day before our departure, when a vessel arrived
with despatches from Lisbon. His conversation was good, his
manners polite, and he pressed the few delicacies he had to offer
for our acceptance, with a friendliness, which augured well of his
disposition. The higher classes of most countries combine dignity
with affability, and I never saw it more happily blended than in
the females of the family; it completely reconciled me to the
strange appearance of coarse, coloured, cotton gowns, washed out
silt handkerchiefs, and a few nameless barbarisms, not yet banished
by Portuguese good breeding.
Our second residence gave us a view of the Sunday cavalcade
going to mass. It was preceded by a parade, summoned by a
cracked drum ; and such a mixture of tall and short, fat and lean,'
could not be exceeded by any caricaturist in the World.' Not one
of "the soldiers but wanted shoes, or some part of his uniform ;
and their dismissal reminded me very forcibly of Boihbastes Furioso
taking leave of his men, the soldiers in question being quite as
incapable of “ making a row!” The black priest proceeded a: few
minutes before the rest, to assume his robes, and a servant in a
mock livery headed the procession, carrying the Governor’s daughter
(a pretty clever child, five years old) in his arms. Papa and mamma
went next, the former in a full suit of black, knee buckles, cocked
hat, <fc.; "his lady in black silk and velvet, which was carefully laid
aside immediately on her return, when she put on a white robe
for dinner, which was changed for a coarse cotton stripe by tea
time. The rest of the party walked indiscriminately, and feathers,
and flowers, and dyes of every hue,r were mingled with aid-de-
camps, cadets, strangers, mulattoes, slaves, and ragged black
children; the whole population running to the spot, to enjoy
this display of grandeur.
A higher spectacle awaited us on the arrival of the vessel fi*om
Lisbon, which decided the Governor’s fate, and as it just entered
the bay, as we entered the dinner-room, Mr. Bowdich and I sat
in a quiet corner, and witnessed, the. whole effect. The excessive
agitation of the Governor was evinced by his rubbing his forehead,
pacing up and down the room in the most hurried manner, every
five minutes looking through the telescope; and was finely contrasted
with the coolness and security of our powerful host. A
boat was sent with the cadets, secretary, and, orderly, to receive
the officers and the news, and soon a general rush to the door
announced its return. Mutual embraces and exclamations were
succeeded by the production of two crimson silk bags. The Governor
instantly retired with his, and. Senhor Manoel was quietly
examining his own, and giving out the private letters before he
thought of those which concerned himself, when his Excellency
rushed back, hugged him round the neck, and congratulated him
on the receipt of a fresh order of knighthood, the badge of which
was accordingly tied on with a smart blue ribbon, by the Governor
himself, and a few minutes after, was subjected to the inspection
of my young, greasy friend, above-mentioned, whose father, it
seemed, thought it more fit to please his child than himself; and
the next morning wisely resumed his coloured cotton jacket,
observing, that if his sovereign had rewarded his services with a
hundred pounds, he would have kept on a cloth coat for a few
days. The bearer of the despatches, who was the Governor’s aicU
de-camp, was very pleasing both in manner and person, and as he
brought approbation with him, was welcomed with an ardour
which was very entertaining to English sang froid. The party
was soon increased by the addition of all the Portuguese of the
place, to receive intelligence; most of them had letters, the interesting
parts of which they read aloud, even when they concerned
none but themselves; exclamations of surprise and joy were
mingled with the inquiries of those who received no news.; the