PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 473 
realm. The early part of his political career fell upon the 
stormy times when Brazil was struggling for her national 
existence as an independent Empire ; but during the more 
tranquil close of his life he seems to have been chiefly 
occupied in works of benevolence, in founding charitable 
institutions, and even in personal attendance upon the sick 
and suffering. 
The name of this benevolent Brazilian is associated not 
only with the Misericordia hospital, but also with the ad- 
mirable asylum for the insane at Botafogo, which bears 
the name of the present Emperor. A great part of the 
funds for this establishment were obtained in an original 
way, which shows that Pereira knew how to turn the 
weaknesses of his countrymen to good account. The 
Brazilians are addicted to titles, and the government of- 
fered distinctions of this kind to wealthy citizens who 
would endow the insane asylum. They were to be either 
commendadores or barons, the importance of the title being 
in proportion to the magnitude of their donations. Large 
sums were actually obtained in this way, and several of 
the titled men of Rio thus purchased their patents of 
nobilitv. When I first arrived in Rio de Janeiro, mere 
J 
chan-je led me to visit this asylum. Entering as a stran- 
ger, I saw only the outer rooms, listened to the evening 
service in the chapel for a few moments, and was struck 
with the order and quiet which seemed to prevail. It 
certainly never would have occurred to me that I was 
in an insane hospital. To-day Mr. Agassiz and myself, 
accompanied by our friend Dr. Pacheco da Silva, passed 
several hours there, and saw the whole establishment in 
detail. The building faces upon Botafogo Bay, having the 
beach immediately before it; on its right the picturesque 
