278 THE LIFE OF 



extremely opulent ; and an air of plenty apw 

 pears throughout the whole. The amufcments 

 are chiefly confined to the opera, for which 

 they have a fmall theatre; but private focieties 

 are very engaging. The people are not, how- 

 ever, fo hofpitable as in fome other places, par- 

 ticularly Rio Grander but they are not morofe, 

 and treat their negroes remarkably well, many 

 of whom at an early age are enabled to purchafe 

 their freedom. 



• The women here are by no means patterns of 

 chaftity ; and thofe of the clafs of courtezans 

 are remarkably extravagant in the prices they 

 demand for their favours, twenty and even a 

 hundred half joes being no uncommon prefent. 

 Among the fmgularities of the place we may 

 enumerate the frequent, or rather inceflant ufe 

 of baths of tepid w-ater. Whether this gives 

 rife to any peculiar difeafe I leave to phylicians 

 to determine, but two pretty extraordinary ones 

 almoft univerfally prevail here. Thefe are 

 fwellings of the legs, which fometimes arrive 

 at vail: magnitude, and. hydroceles of aflonifliing 

 bulk; both are at times, but not conflantly, at- 

 tended with violent pain, and the latter not un- 

 frequently dcfcends below the knee. 



- The military cflablilhment of the town of 

 Rio dc Janeiro confifts of two fquadrons of very 

 ^mo, dragoons, which fcrve as a guard to the 



Viceroy, 



