With regard to those of Rio- de Janeiro I own that,
however strongly prejudice might operate against them, I
never could perceive in their conduct any thing that could
warrant the opinion of their being more licentious, or more
immorally inclined, than females are in other countries. Nor
do I believe that their good humour, signified by smiling,
nodding, and throwing flowers from their balconies to passing
strangers, after having repeatedly seen the same thing done
when the fathers or the husbands were standing by their side,
could justly or candidly be construed into any assignation,
to convey any particular meaning, or bear any other explanation
than that of its being a mere local custom, practised
without design; much less could it afford sufficient grounds
for the very heavy censure that has been passed upon them.
I t is scarcely fair to decide on the disposition and moral
character of a whole nation from the occasional occurrences
and observations of a few hours in the day, during a week’s
residence; and where the character of the fair sex is at stake,
we ought at least to incline to the favourable side, especially
as, m every country, the female part of society owes, in a
great degree, its good and bad qualities, and more particularly
the latter, to the conduct of the men.
The manners are so different in different countries, .and
local customs sometimes so extraordinary, that ocular observation
alone may easily be deceived. In France it was
the common custom for the gentlemen to kiss every lady they
might meet in the streets on nfew year’s d a y ; and he who
should omit this ceremony would have been considered as a
rude and ill-bred ftian. I remember once, in passing the
streets of Liverpool, in the middle of the day, to have met
half a dozen very smart looking girls, who stopped me, and
from their manner seemed to be inclined to handle me rather
roughly. I soon discovered that an ancient custom was still
observed in this town, which granted a privilege to the ladies
of seizing any gentleman they might chuse to encounter m the
streets on Easter'Tuesday, to lift him into the air and, if he
should refuse to make such concessions as wrere demanded,
to drop him into the kennel; and this day is significantly
called the lifting day. Now if the commander of a Portu-
gueze ship should happen to be walking the streets of Liverpool;
for the first time on Easter Tuesday, and be treated m
the manner here described, and be sent on board his ship
immediately after, as the Portuguese of Rio send all strangers
on board their respective ships at sunset, it may readily
be conceived what kind of character he would be apt to give
of the women of Liverpool, which nevertheless might, and
certainly would, be no less erroneous than unjust..
That the ladies of Rio have a great deal of vivacity and
little reserve I am free to admit, which indeed is not greatly
to be wondered at. The whole day is spent at home in
gloomy confinement; and they rarely see a human creature
beside their own family, except in the evenings, when they
appear in their balconies or go to vespers.- At these moments
they may be compared to birds that have escaped from the
confinement of the cage. A t the same' time, I have not the
smallest doubt that this city has its full proportion of ladies,