I05e 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



instantly returned ; when the door 

 How open, and he led us out of the 

 horrid vault." 



After several representations to 

 the fTOvcriior. and ti)c more weighty 

 intcrfercrico of commodor.^ Catnp- 

 bt'll, who, about this period, arri- 

 tlen'ally ancliorod off Bahia. :Mr. 

 Lindiey, thi)n;rli sfill dclaiiitd. was 

 aliowoii the liberty of walkim; about 

 the strt'e-fs of thi- «i(y. *»•>•! into the 

 adjacent ooiintry — In this state his 

 affairs rcniaint'd for a ronsiderablc 

 pt-riod. the goviTDor and iiis miuis- 

 ler Claudio r.rf.ising'to decide upon 

 liis case, alledging iha( he must wait 

 instructions from Lisbon. JMr. 

 .Lindley's diary^ still continues, and 

 hi? pams teem with the ebullitions of 

 his bjk against every order of the 

 inhabitants— the following descrip- 

 tion of a lirasilian banker is rather 

 diverting. 



" The portrait of a miser is ever 

 the same, except as dill'ercnce of 

 countries may sometimes vary the 

 shade. — I had an order to receive 

 some cash this morning, from a 

 signor Antonio de Oliveira. On 

 entering his house, a thin, half- 

 starved^ palc-visai;ed clcik sat wri- 

 ting on a wretched table, in a dirty 

 anti-chamber. He announced me 

 to some one in an inner ro m ; 

 where, after due caution, I was ad- 

 mitted : I found a man weighing 

 some gold sleeve-buttons, which a 

 poor creature at his side was pro- 

 bably selling or pawning. In a cross 

 tone he told mc to waif ; and pointed 

 to a door, where I understood his 

 principal was. I was shortly intro- 

 dnei'd to sis,nor Oliveira himself — 

 an old man covered with grey hair 

 and wrinkles, standing selling some 

 pieces of chintz to tv\'o female cus- 

 tomers, whom he cautiously watched 

 as they surveyed his goods. Tke 



room was lar^e ; and was hnng with 

 old |)aintings of saints and evange- 

 lists, nearly dropping from their 

 frames w ith the dust they sustained, 

 as was a Jesus which tottered on its 

 cross. In a corner was a shelf on 

 which a silvcr-hilted hanger, a silver 

 bason, and other riches, had once 

 shone, but were now nearly ob- 

 scured by dirt: a few antique chairs, 

 an immense press, and a broken 

 table, composed the rest of his fur- 

 niture ; unless indeed twenty trunks 

 placed around come under that des- 

 cription. 



" On the table a water-melon 

 (cheap, coaling, sober diet!) lay 

 cut, with a plate of farinha. The 

 old mau seated mc, but in a situa- 

 tion where I was in view as well as 

 his customers ; and requested my 

 patience till he had dispatched them : 

 they were particular in their pur- 

 chase ; and to accommodate them he 

 had to open three or four trunks, 

 carefully replacing the contents of 

 each, and locking it before opening 

 anotlier. When the females with- 

 drew, [ produced my assignation ; 

 and found the sum most accurately 

 counted and piled (being silver) or 

 a stool behind him covered with a 

 cloth. On my informing the old 

 Scnhor that I had been promised 

 gold, he carried part of the silver to 

 the press before mentioned : on his 

 opening which 1 was astonished at 

 the quantity of bags that stood, ap- 

 parently full of coin, besides loo.?e 

 articles of gold and silver separate 

 and distinctly arranged. He opened 

 one bag and completed my demand ; 

 and I departed with an impression 

 of wonder that a human being could 

 spend his life in accumulating wealth 

 without any view to apply it, and 

 make his whole happiness consist ia 

 such practices of accumulation." 



It 



