302 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



by two hundred reis and five hundred reis pieces, about the 

 dimensions and weight of our sixpence and shilling. Of these 

 latter, during the whole time I was in Brazil, I only possessed 

 eight of the two hundred reis and three of the five hundred 

 reis coins, which I preserved as curiosities. I have also seen one 

 milreis and one two-milreis in silver, but only one of each, which 

 were kept by the possessor as something extraordinary. The 

 paper notes range from five hundred reis to five hundred mil- 

 reis (five hundred reis, i milreis, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 50, 100, 

 200 milreis, etc.). The filth of these greasy notes, as a rule, 

 up to ten milreis, defies description. 



The Government and the Bank of Brazil, which issues its own 

 notes, are constantly calling in the older issues ; series so and so, 

 or estampa so and so, green paper, white paper, etc. If the notes 

 be not presented by a certain time, five per cent., or ten per cent., 

 or more, is deducted from their value, and after a given period 

 they are valueless. Money matters are consequently very com- 

 plicated, especially up country, where one may never hear of the 

 proposed call until it is time to send the notes in. I suffered 

 much inconvenience in paying my men, owing to this abominable 

 practice, a method which has been set to work to add to the 

 coffers of an impecunious treasury. 



This paper currency is not redeemable, any one going to the 

 bank or to the treasury with a bagful of notes to realize being 

 presented with freshly issued notes. 



The nomenclature of the money is different up country to 

 what it is in Rio. The 4o-reis pieces, new and old, are termed 

 " cobres," coppers. The " pataca " is also a very common name ; 

 its value is 320 reis. Every small sum is there counted by cobres, 

 patacas, or testoes (a testao is 100 reis). The milreis is often 

 called " deztoes " (i.e. ten testoons). In Rio, small sums are often 

 reckoned by vintens (a vintem is 20 reis). 



Mr. John Armitage, in his " History of Brazil," * refers to the 

 depreciation of coinage in 1829, and "the enormous issue of 

 copper " (which coins, as I have stated, form the bulk of the 

 currency up country). He says, "This copper was, even in 1829, 



* " The History of Brazil from 1808 to 1831," 2 vols. Smith, Elder, and 

 Co., 1836. 



