ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



1071 



linen. The sword tlicy have totally 

 thrown a>ide (except in olhce), and 

 cocked hats are going out of fashi- 

 on, hhoe and knee buckles, of 

 solid gold, ami of their o.vn manu- 

 facture, are very comraon ; and 

 they are fondly attached to every 

 species of fnury. On their ret rn 

 home these gala clothes are instantly 

 taken off, and a gown or thin jacket 

 adopted by some in their stead, 

 ■while others content themselves with 

 remaining in their shirts and draw- 

 ers. 



" The.usiial dress of the ladies is 

 a single petticoat over a chemise. 

 The latter is composed of the thin- 

 est muslin, and i^ generally very 

 mnrh vvoi ktd and ornameiited : it is 

 made s-o full at the b .som, that, on 

 the smallest movement, it drops 

 over one or both shoulders, leaving 

 the breast perfectly exposed : and, 

 btsides this, is so transparent, that 

 the skin is every- where visible un- 

 deriirath. This violation of feminine 

 delicacy appears the more disgust- 

 ing, as the complexion oftheljrasi- 

 lians is in iicneral very ind.iierent, 

 approaching to an obscure tawny 

 colour. Stockings are scarcely 

 ever used ; and, during the rainy 

 season, which is to them cold, they 

 shufile about in a pair of slippers, 

 and are accommodated with a thick 

 blue and white cotton wrapper, or 

 a woollen great coat faced with 

 shag, similar to the German cavoys. 

 When attending mats, a deep black 

 silk mantle, worn over the head, 

 conceals the transparent costume 

 beneath. They let the h.air grow to 

 a great length : it is twisted, fast" 

 ened in a knot on the head, and al- 

 ways loaded with a profusion of po- 

 matum and powder of tapioca. On 

 some publie occasions, aud visits of 



ceremony to each other, a few ladies 

 of rank adopt the Europeau dress. 



" Tlie singular custom of permit- 

 ting the nail of the thumb, or fore- 

 finger (sometimes both), to grow 

 to a hideous length, and then piir- 

 iiig it to a sharp point, is com- 

 mon to both sexes. This excre- 

 scence, however, is not without its 

 use, as it serves the men to divide 

 the fibres from the tobacco leaf, and 

 cut it into shape preparatory to the 

 rolling it into segars, to the smok- 

 ing of which they are greatly addict- 

 ed. Their viols and guitars are al- 

 so thrummed with this nail, the 

 flourishing display of which adds, in 

 their conception, a bcanty to the 

 instrument. And lastly, these sa- 

 cred nails are considered as distin- 

 guishing the wearers for an easy in- 

 dolence, wiiich in this country is no 

 trivial recommendation. 



" The carriages of Bahia are 

 merely a few cabrioles. The ine- 

 cjualii'ies of tho city rendering this 

 mode of conveyance inconvenient ; 

 tikey are less common than at Ilio 

 Janeiro : but chairs abound in pro- 

 portion, and are to be procured in 

 every street. These chairs are not 

 like ours, but are much higher, and 

 open on the sides from top to bot- 

 tom, so that a person on stepping ia 

 is at once seated. They are carried 

 on the shoulders of two stout ne- 

 groes, by means of two tixed pieces 

 of wood, projecting from the upper 

 part of the chair both before and 

 behind. On the top they are pro- 

 fusely ornamented w ith carving and 

 gilding, and are hung with deep cur- 

 tains of silk or stuir, stampt with 

 gold and silver leaf to a variety of 

 patterns. 



" The richness of these chairs, 

 and the gaudy livery of the bearers, 



are 



