FETES AT BAHIA 35 



of the larger of these houses there were a few of 

 the better-class Brazilians. These were traders 

 from Bahia, who rent these houses for the summer, 

 and one of them, who procured porters for us, 

 told us that he took a house on the island every 

 year during the hot weather, as it was then far 

 more healthy than at Bahia. 



Occasionally a case of "beri-beri" makes its 

 appearance among the natives in Bahia. All 

 sufferers from this dreadful disease are at once 

 sent across to Itaparica, and we were informed 

 that they frequently recover when this is done, 

 but if they remain in Bahia they usually die. 



The population of Bahia and the surrounding 

 country is of all nationalities, though the greater 

 number appear to be negroes. 



All these people are of the Roman Catholic 

 religion, and they celebrate Saints' days by a 

 great display of fireworks. During the two visits 

 of the "Valhalla" there were a number of these 

 displays, and the continual banging of crackers 

 at all hours of the day and night was infinitely 

 less amusing to us than to the Brazilians. 



On the occasion of our first visit, a great pro- 

 cession of boats filled with priest and choristers 

 started from the shore, and visited most of the ships 

 in the harbour. When they arrived at a Brazilian 

 ship they fired off a number of crackers which they 

 had with them, and one of these ships, a Brazilian 

 man-of-war, replied with a salute of guns. On 



