1058 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



Dpon <lie Portuguese inhabitan (s, sion of this, none scarcely escaping 



.their tilth, mt'aiincss, ignorance, 



it ; t-ven the ladies shew their delt- 



povcrty, and every other qiiaiit) , cafe fingers, and complain of the 



•wliirh can di grade human nature. saarr7. The cure of this disorder is 



. — The I'oilo'vmg are some charac- hardly ever attempted, till it settles 



teristic sketches of the peop'e, at last in a scaly leprosy, particu- 



vhom JNlr. Liiidlcy is so distasted larly on the stomaclis of the men, 



with. who are provided with apertures in 



" I am ashamed of recording an the sides ot" their shirts, when in ua- 



instanre of the filth and indtlicacy dress, for the acco^lmodation of 



of the wretches around us, which scratching, baring their arms to 



vould scarcely be credited, could I their elbows for the purpose ; and 



not refer the incredulous to those this they do before any one, pub- 



■who have visited Spain, Portugal, or liciy and unblushingly, considering it 



the southern continent : no'iced 

 there among the vulgar, it is here 

 seen among all ranks : I mean the 

 shocking custom of searching earh 

 other's heads for vermin. Both 

 sexes do it indiscriminately, parti- 



as a mark of ease, comfort, and be- 

 ing at home!" 



" During all the visits I puid tliis 

 country, the ignorance of the in- 

 habitants in general constantly ap- 

 peared ; but before my imprison- 



cularly the fem;)!es. who fill up tlieir incnt they showed some reserve 



vacant hours with this elegant amuse- now, however, their impudence is 



ment ; nor, except at the time of unbounded, even to insult ; while I 



meals and siesta, can you scarcely can only resent it by reproach or 



visit a house, in which some of its unavailing complaint. The captain, 



inhabitants are not thus occupied. Mor, who has superior apartments 



I mention this to-day, as, on enter- in the prison, takes the liberty of 



ing the apartments of a neighbour- running into mine, without excuse ; 



ing prisoner (late a respectable man not considering the situation of Mrs. 



in the province,) I observed him, Lindley and myself, contincd to a 



\vhilst conversing, deliberately re- 

 cline his head on the knee of his 

 •wile, thinking the presence of a 

 stranger no hindrance to the ope- 



small room, and who do not at all 

 hours chuse such visitors : besides 

 constantly i:sing my liquor for him- 

 self and friends, notwithstanding he 



ration I have mentioned, which he knows [ purchase it on thespot, and 

 seemed to consider as a sort of en- have no support allow ed me. The 

 joymenf, for he continued his dis- judge ordinary, or magistrate of the 



course very coolly at the same time. 

 " With us, a certain cutaneous dis- 

 order is thought peculiarly disgrace- 

 ful, even among the lowest classes, 

 and is used as an insulting oppro- 

 brium on our northern natives ; but 



town, daily visits the prison, and 

 uses the same freedom : this morn- 

 ing he presented us with a basket of 

 eggs, begged a silk handkerchief in 

 return, and, whilst talking on the 

 subject, reached a clothes-brush 



in Brasil it is a generally avowed from the wall, and, sans ctremonic, 

 distemper, nor is the smallest idea of brushed his hat in our faces. Each 

 shame or disgrace annexed to it : poor meal we make, we are neces- 

 perhaps its prevalence is the coca- sitated in the first instance to secure 



6ur 



