FAYAL AND THE PORTUGUESE —§ 303 
kernel to the nut. The Portuguese, and to 
some extent the Spaniards, have kept nearer to 
the primitive usage which made the personal 
name the important one and the patronymic 
quite secondary. John Smith is not known 
conversationally as Mr. Smith, but as Mr. John, 
—Senhor Joao. You may have in society an 
acquaintance named Senhor Francisco, and 
another named Senhora Dona Christina, and it 
may be long before it turns out that they are 
brother and sister, the family name being, we 
will suppose, Garcia da Rosa; and even then it 
will be doubtful whether to call them Garcia or 
da Rosa. This explains the great multiplica- 
tion of names in Spain and Portugal. The first 
name being the important one, the others may 
be added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided, 
with perfect freedom. A wife may or may not 
add her husband’s name to her own; the eldest 
son takes some of the father’s family names, 
the second son some of the mother’s, saints’ 
names are sprinkled in to suit the taste, and 
no confusion is produced, because the first 
name is the only one in common use. Each 
may, if he pleases, carry all his ancestors on 
his visiting card, without any inconvenience 
except the cost of pasteboard. 
Fayal exhibits another point of courtesy to 
be studied. The gentleman of our party was 
