626 Original Account 
Pernambuco is a large ‘ahd populous 
town, Containing about 60,600 people, 
ald cafries' ‘on a treat? foreign’ and! do- 
mesti¢ tradé. The coast near it is very 
low ; and the country, well clothed with 
woods in perpetual verdure, contrasted 
with the white cottages scattered along 
the shore, the Indians fishing in their 
jungadas or canoes, and the beautiful 
serene sky, afford to the European, as 
he ‘approaches it, a most pleasing pro- 
spéct. ‘The town stands on a great ex- 
tent of ground, and many of the houses 
aré well built, chiefly of stone. The 
streets are ‘wide ‘and spacious, the 
churches are'truly magnificent, and the 
images they Contain are immensely yalu- 
able. It is supposed that the religious 
form one-eighth part of the population, 
and of the continual crowd passing 
through the streets, they make no small 
portion. | These people are ‘dvessed ac- 
cording to the orders they profess, Car- 
thusians, Greyfriars, &e. One of these 
érders, the. Carmelites, is particularly 
distinguishable, not only by being exter- 
hally clothed very well, but by their fair 
round bellies; which appear to be, in 
general, well lined, and much of the 
same cut with that of Sir John Falstaff. 
Nearly half of the inhabitants are slaves 
imported from Angola, who are very 
humanely treated by the Portuguese, 
and make good and faithful servants. 
There is a market appropriated pur- 
posely to these unfortunate beings, 
where two or three hundred are com- 
monly seen huddled together, squatted 
on their hams like monkies, and com- 
pletely in cuerpo. They are thus ex- 
posed for sale, having been previously 
rubbed over with a spécies of oil, which 
gives them 2 glossy appearance ; and, in 
addition, are decorated with bead neck- 
laces and bracelets, to set them off te 
advantage. They seem to regard white 
people as 2 superior sort of beings, and 
look on one as he passes with a most 
vacant stare. ‘Pernambuco stands on 
two islands, and is connected together 
by two bridges, one of which is a most 
beautiful structure, built by the Dutch, 
when they took ‘this place from the 
Portuguese, in 1670. It consists of 
fifteen arches, under which runs astrong 
and rapid river, that comes many hun- 
dred miles down the country. On’either 
side of this bridge are shops’ full of 
European mérchandize, particularly Eng- 
lish manufactures, or, as they are called 
by the Portuguese, “ fazendas Tnglesas:” 
Tt is only in the middle that a person 
knows he is ‘on’ a’ bridges’ “He then 
of Pernambuco. 
beholds ‘an ‘opening, which) during “the 
day,is often full of passengetezenjoying 
the cool refreshing brééze that comes 
down ‘the river; and enjoying ‘the prot 
speet; which, from ‘this’ ‘spot, is" triily 
delightfal. The vivér’is' seen owitding 
up as far as Olinda, ‘whieh is Seated ‘on 
a hill. On either bank’ are’ beautiful 
white cottages, intermixed with! aian- 
grove and cocoa-trees, anid fruitful vine 
yards. The Indians are seen paddling 
down the river, with theif anwidld 
canoes; the fishermen ‘ak eRe habit 
drying their nets: while Natiré,' dis- 
playing her gayest verdure, 'gives ‘alto* 
gether a cowp-d’ wil whieh it is impossit 
ble to describe. ‘The other is a very 
long wooden bridge, in which there’ is 
nothing at all remarkable, more than 
being quite open to the breeze down 
the river; on which aecount it is muéh 
resorted to in the evening, especially by 
the English. © ' 
Most of the houses in Pernambuco 
are lofty ; and, instead of glass windows, 
have green lattices, which have a pretty 
effect, especially as all their houses’ ate 
white, and frequently surrounded with 
beautiful evergreens. All these windows 
are prominent, not unlike the’ Eliza. 
bethan windows seen in some of-our old 
country towns. During the’ morning, 
the better sort of Portuguese’ are*séén 
leaning out of them, muffled up it their 
long cloaks, and exhibiting’ a ‘genuine 
picture of indolence. They never’ live 
on the ground-floor, which is commonly 
used for cellars or shops. The ladies 
are only seen towards the evening, peep- 
ing through the lattices, very few ever 
appearing in the streets, and then closely 
veiled, and in a kind of curtaited/ hem- 
mock, carried by two slaves‘ on'a'long 
pele. They are remarkably partiabto 
the English, which oecasions niuch | jea- 
lousy; though Ido not think the Port- 
guese are so much ‘addicted’ to: this 
passion as they are represented to be. 
There are a good many coffee-houses 
here, which are known by.a siall round 
board with Casa de’ Caffé: written aipon 
it. The principal one is kept by priest, 
and is the common resort of)! alb’the 
merchants, serving them as’an ex¢hange. 
Good wine, sangaree, and) a> toleral le 
breakfast, can be procured heré! atvall 
hours of the day; and! the billiard land 
backgammon tables are wellrequented, 
especially on!aiSunday. iyi of! tavo 
The Portuguese’ merchants ‘arecrich 
and respectable. In all their-transactions, 
paymentis madeat the time of purchase :. 
they have no idea of creditzo Most ohour 
' English 
