150 Voyage of the Novara. 



The Public Library, though little more than begun at the 

 period of our visit, already comprised 86,000 volumes, and is 

 annually increased by an addition of five or six hundred. 

 This institution was, in 1856, visited by 3407 readers, who 

 perused 7717 volumes, mostly in Portuguese and French, con- 

 sisting of 238 on theology, 1046 on political economy, 2879 

 on natural science, 153 on the fine arts, 1083 on history, and 

 2318 on belles-lettres, which furnishes a very fair criterion for 

 estimating the education of those availing themselves of these 

 advantas'es. 



Another institution, which is an evidence of the efibrts now 

 making by the Brazilians to gratify their national vanity, is the 

 Conservatorio da Musica, a newly-established institution for the 

 promotion of the opera lyrica nacional, the number of pupils 

 attending which averages 100. A custom has lately prevailed 

 of sending one or two of the most gifted of these annually to 

 Europe to complete their musical studies. During a four 

 years' residence there, each pupil has a stipend from the Im- 

 perial exchequer of 3000 francs per annum ; and in the event 

 of obtaining a prize abroad, he receives a gratuity of 1000 

 francs ; his compositions, however, in that case become the 

 property of the parent institution. By this means the Bra- 

 zilians hope to render themselves entirely independent of 

 foreign musical talent. " Why should we annually pay hun- 

 dreds of thousands of francs to foreign singers and concert- 

 givers ?" said a Brazilian to us one day in all earnestness. 

 " We shall soon have our own artists — Brazilian Thalbcrffs, 

 Crisis, and Lablaches!" Confessedly the inhabitants of the 



