413 EXCURSIONS BEYOND EGA. Chap. VI. 



formerly were. My old favourite road, the Monguba 

 avenue, had been renovated and joined to many other 

 magnificent rides lined with trees, which in a very few 

 years had grown to a height sufficient to afford agree- 

 able shade ; one of these, the Estrada de Sao Jose, had 

 been planted with coco-nut palms. Sixty public vehicles, 

 light cabriolets (some of them built in Para), now plied 

 in the streets, increasing much the animation of the 

 beautified squares, streets, and avenues. 



I found also the habits of the people considerably 

 changed. Many of the old religious holidays had de- 

 clined in importance and given way to secular amuse- 

 ments ; social parties, balls, music, billiards, and so 

 forth. There was quite as much pleasure-seeking as 

 formerly, but it was turned in a more rational direction, 

 and the Paraenses seemed now to copy rather the 

 customs of the northern nations of Europe, than those 

 of the mother-country, Portugal. I was glad to see 

 several new booksellers' shops, and also a fine edifice 

 devoted to a reading-room supplied with periodicals, 

 globes, and maps, and a circulating library. There were 

 now many printing-offices, and four daily newspapers. 

 The health of the place had greatly improved since 

 1850, the year of the yellow fever, and Para was now 

 considered no longer dangerous to new comers. 



So much for the improvements visible in the place, 

 and now for the dark side of the picture. The expenses 

 of living had increased about fourfold, a natural con- 

 sequence of the demand for labour and for native 

 products of all kinds having augmented in greater ratio 

 than the supply, through large arrivals of non-productive 



