FREE BLACKS AND MULATTOES. 45 
heavily laden baskets on their heads ; and even 
women are not exempt from this labour. 
On Sundays and holidays they also sing in 
time to their steps, as they stroll about, but the 
tune has a more lively character ; and they some- 
times accompany their voices on a little instru- 
ment composed of a few steel springs. They 
understand no other language than that of their 
distant country, and therefore, though the cere- 
_ mony of baptism is never omitted, they receive 
no instruction in the doctrines of Christianity ; 
thus, while an appearance of anxiety concerning 
the salvation of their souls is maintained, they 
continue sunk in the state of misery and dark- 
ness which hopeless bodily suffering is so cal- 
culated to produce. The few free blacks are 
either manumitted slaves or their descendants : 
they are mostly mechanics engaged in trade. 
The mulattoes are generally of illegitimate birth, 
but are sometimes the offspring of marriages 
between blacks and the lowest class of whites. 
From their connexion with blacks or whites 
spring all the various gradations of colour met 
with among the inhabitants of Brazil. The 
mulattoes and free negroes form the middle 
