A Day in Bahia 51 



impressive. I succeeded in gaining admission to the 

 private quarters occupied as offices, meeting-rooms, 

 and library by the resident clergy. Here were some 

 interesting old books, pictures, and historical relics 

 which appealed to my fancy more than did the heavily 

 ornate decorations of the nave and chapels. The 

 minor ecclesiastic who showed me around and explained 

 everything in Portuguese was very polite and obliging. 

 I spent half an hour with him and regretted that I 

 could not have stayed longer. The views from the 

 windows of this part of the complex of buildings are 

 very charming, and I sat down at one of them and for 

 a few moments feasted my eyes with the sight of the 

 city and the distant hills. 



On returning from the little tour of exploration in the 

 hidden parts of the church, I again found that I had 

 lost my companions, and forthwith proceeded to visit 

 one or two other churches, which were said to be worthy 

 of inspection. But to one who is familiar with the 

 ecclesiastical architecture of Europe, who has studied 

 the cathedrals of England, Germany, France, and 

 Spain, who has seen St. Peter's in Rome, and the gor- 

 geous basilicas of Moscow and St. Petersburg, the 

 impression left upon the mind by the churches of Bahia, 

 some of which date back for a couple of centuries, 

 is upon the whole quite disappointing. Their white- 

 washed exteriors, standing forth with dazzling clearness 

 against the deep blue sky of the tropics, are certainly 

 more effective from an artistic standpoint than their 

 interiors. 



Forsaking the task of exploring churches, I betook 

 myself to the shops, the market-places, the streets, 

 and lanes. There was little here which was attractive, 

 but much to interest. The goods displayed were 



