2 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



the Ouvidor of S. Paulo. We were very politely 

 received by these gentlemen, and had, at the same 

 time, the pleasure of meeting with our countrymen. 

 Prince Taxis, Count Wrbna, and Count Palfy, who 

 had been here above a week. These noblemen 

 having had no reason to stop by the way, had tra- 

 velled from Rio in a shorter time ; and when we 

 arrived, were on the point of returning to that 

 city. We therefore could enjoy only for a short 

 period, the satisfaction of examining the curiosities 

 of the oldest city of Brazil in their company ; a 

 noble thirst of knowledge attracted them into the 

 interior of the country ; and the parting from them 

 was the more painful to us, as our friend Mr, 

 Thomas Ender, the landscape-painter, with whom 

 we had lived in the same house in Rio, was to 

 accompany them back to the capital. 

 ■ The city of S. Paulo is situated on an eminence 

 in the extensive plain of Piratininga. The style 

 of architecture indicates by the frequent latticed 

 balconies which have not disappeared here as in 

 Rio, that it is above a century old ; the streets, 

 however, are very broad, light, and cleanly, and the 

 houses mostly two stories high. They seldom 

 build here with bricks, and still less with stone, 

 but usually raise the walls of two rows of strong 

 posts or wicker work, between which clay is 

 rammed {casas de ta'ipa\ a method which much 

 resembles what is called the pise in France. The 

 residence of the governor, formerly the Jesuits' 



