Houfes here were built, after the faffiiom of the mother-country, with a final!
wooden balcony over the entrance; but to the eye of one accuifomed to the
cheerful appearance of glafs Windows, a certain fambre call feemed to pervade
even their bed and wideft ftreets, the light being conveyed through window--
frames of clofe lattice-work. !: Some of thefe, indeed, being decorated' on the
outfide with paint and fome gilding, rather improved, the look o f the houfes to:
which they belonged- i , .
The winter, we were informed, was the. only feafon in- which the inhabitants!
could make excurfions into the country f for when the fun came to the fouth-
ward of ;the Line, the rain,, as they moft energetically affined us, defcended for,
between two and three, months rather in feas than in torrents. A t this feafon:
they confined themfely.es; to their , houfes in the. town-, only venturing out by the
unfcorching light of the moon, or at thofe intervals when the rains-were, moderated
into.Stowers. But, though the; fummer feafon,is fo extremely .hot, theufe-
o f the cold bath, w,e found, - was, wholly,unknown to, the inh,abitants-
The women of . the' town of Rio.de Janeiro, being born within the tropics,
could not be expe&ed to pqffefs the beft complexions,; but their features were
in general expreffive— the.eye datkjSnd.liyely, with ,a ftriking eye-brow.. The
hair was dark, and nature had fpouredthem with that ornament in. uncommon
profufion:; this they inertly, wore, with’ powder, drained to: a high point before,
and tied in feveral folds; behind- By their.,. parents they were, early bred. uj>_ to-
much ufeful • knowledge, and; were generally milfrelfes of the polite accomplifh-
ments.of mufic, finging,iand dancing., Their converfation .appeared, to |>e. lively,
at times breaking opt in faUies of mirth « id wit, and at'otliers; difplaying; Judgment
and good fefift. . In: their drefs for making or receiving, vifits, they chiefly '
affpfted filks and gay qojours; but in thq mornings, when, employed in the nq-.
ceffary duties, e f the houfe, a-thin but. elegant robe or mpnde;tihi;own over, the
feoulders.jwas the only upper; garment worn. Both males and.females were
early;t®ught to drefs as men‘ajid vypmen t and we,had,:mai?y opportunities, of .feeing,
a hqop,on a little-Donna, p f three years of age, «>4;a bag, and a fworcl; qn,. a
Senot o f fix. This appearance,was as difficult to reconcile as that qf the faints
and virgins in. their churches being decorated with powdered perruques,. fwords,
laced .clothes, and full-dreffed duitp, . . ... .. ..
Attentions to the women were, perhaps carried farther in this place than. is cuf-
tomary in Europe. To a lady, in .the prefence of a gentleman, a fervant never
was fuffered to hand even a glafs; of water, the gentleman (with a refpeft. approaching
to adoration) performing that office; and fbefe gallantries; appeared
to be received as the homage due to their fuperior rank in the qreation. It was.
feid, indeed, that they were not difinclined to intrigues, but in public the ftriaeft
8 decorum
decorum and propriety of behaviour was always obferved in the women, Angle
as well as married, 1 At houfes where feveral people of both fexes were met together,
the,eye, on entering the room, was inftantly hurt, at perceiving the-female
part of the company ranged and feated by themfelves on one fide, and the
gentlemen On- the other, an arrangement certainly unfavourable to private or
particular converfation'. Thefe daughters of the Sun ffiould, however, neither be
cenfured nor wondered at, if found indulging in pleafures againft which even the
eonftitutions of colder regions are not proof. If frozen Ch'aftity be not always
found among the children of ice and fnow,. can ffie be looked for among the inhabitants
of .climates where froft was- never felt ? Yet heartily ffiould ffie be welcomed
wherever ffie may be found, and doubly prized if met with unexpectedly.
The mines, the great fource of revenue to the crown of Portugal, and in the
government of this- place the great caufe of jealoufy both of rtrangers and of the
inhabitants, were fituated fomewhat more than a week’ s journey hence, except
Lome which had been lately difcovered in the mountains near the town. Suffi-
.cient employment was. found for the Mint, at which was ftruck all the coin that
was current here, befides what was fent to Europe- The diamond-trade had.
been for feme time taken into the hands and under the infpeCHon of Government;
but the jewellers’ ihops abounded with topazes, chryfolites, and other
curious and precious Hones.
Befide-the forts at the entrance of the harbour, there were two others o f con-
fiderable force, one at either extremity of the place, conltrufled on iflands in the
bay. On am eminence behind the town, and commanding- the bay, flood the
Citadel. The troops in thefe works were relieved regularly on, the laft day of
every month, previous to. which all the military in the garrifoa palled in review
before the viceroy in. the quadrangle: of the palace- About 250, men with officers
in proportion were on duty every day in the town,, diftributed into different
: guards, from .which eentinels were flattened in various parts of the place, who,
to keep themfelves alert, challenge and reply to each other every quarter of an
hour- In addition to thefe eentinels, every regiment and every guard fent parties
through the ftreets, patroling the whole night for the prefervation of peace and
good order.
A n officer from each, regiment attended every evening at the palace to take
orders for the following day, which were delivered by the adjutant o f orders,, who-
himfelf , received them directly from the viceroy. A t the palace every, tranfaq-
tion in the town was known, and thence, through the adjutant! of orders, the
inhabitants received the viceroy’ s commands, and direftions whenever he thought
it neceffary to guide or regulate their conduct.
. The regiments that came here from Lilbon had been twenty years in the
country, although, on leaving Europe, they were promifed to return at the
expiration.