192 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF DOM PEDRO II. 



order of the country not disturbed since 1848, seem especially opportune 

 for the execution of this project of a voyage to Europe, but the health 

 of the Empress required the journey.. 



According to the Brazilian constitution the sovereign cannot leave the 

 country without permission of parliament, under pain of forfeiting the 

 empire. Dom Pedro asked and obtained leave of absence for a year, 

 and started for Europe in the month of May, 1871, under the name of 

 Dom Pedro d' Alcantara, couiiding the regency of the empire to his 

 daughter, the Countess d'Eu. He sailed with the Empress and a suite 

 of ten persons on board the English steamer which passes regularly 

 between Eio de Janeiro and Southampton, for he would not spend a 

 centime more than the allowance of a civil officer, whiclj, by the way, 

 is not great — 2,000,000 francs a year. The entire population of Rio 

 turned out to wish him a happy journey, and a speedy return. They 

 collected upon the quay, in the windows facing the port, upon the roofs 

 of the houses, on the islands of the bay, waving their handkerchiefs as 

 he appeared, and filled the numerous small steamboats which were to 

 escort for some distance the vessel containing the august travelers. 

 These sincere and touching adieus showed how much the people loved 

 their sovereign. 



The first stopping place of the imperial tourists was Lisbon. Upon 

 the arrival of the Emperor, Louis I, his nephew, came to meet him, and 

 offered to suspend the rules of quarantine and conduct him immediately 

 to his palace. Dom Pedro firmly determined to travel as a private gen- 

 tleman, not only refused to accept this offer, but also to pass the four 

 days of quarantine in a man-of-war the King placed at his disposal. He 

 lodged therefore in the common lazaretto with all the passengers who 

 had landed at Lisbon. He passed several days in the beautiful capital, 

 and then went by rail to Spain, promising his royal nephew to pass a 

 few days in Portugal on his return to Brazil, After Spain he visited 

 France, England, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and 

 Egypt. He took advantage of his journey to lay the foundations of sev- 

 eral treaties of commerce and friendship, but particularly of extradition,, 

 which were afterwards consummated. 



In these diff'erent countries, of which he knew as much as could be 

 learned from written descriptions, Dom Pedro made a careful examina- 

 tion of the works of art, of science, and of industry, the schools, univer- 

 sities, and scientific societies, whose meetings he delighted to attend. 

 He invited to his table distinguished men of all classes, and surprised 

 more than one Diogenes in his tub. Everywhere and to everybody, 

 he exhibited much more knowledge than is generally possessed by the 

 heads of nations, and on his return to Brazil, honored with the most 

 distinguished decorations the men of letters, arts, and science with 

 whom he had been in relation. In certain charitable institutions and 

 in the poor quarter of several large cities, he left substantial souvenirs. 

 of his visit. 



