LIFE IN ENTRE RIOS, MINAS GERAES. 159 



but now he was clean, and got up regardless of expense. 

 On his head, a wreath of artificial red roses and leaves, tied 

 behind with two broad blue ribbons which reached to his 

 feet ; a white muslin frock, trimmed with gilt tinsel lace 

 and red roses ; two wings of purple and white feathers ; 

 long white drawers, frilled and worked ; white stockings ; 

 and a beautiful little pair of boots. Such a change ! — I 

 did not recognize him at first. He was going to take part 

 as an anginho, or " little angel," in the procession of the 

 " Encontro," or Meeting of our Lord with His Mother. 



By half-past five there were streams of people wending 

 their way to the church, and many little girls dressed in 

 white, with long tulle veils and wreaths of artificial white 

 roses with green leaves, all carrying white pocket-handker- 

 chiefs. The first procession was the same as I described 

 last night, which, leaving the church, went up the village 

 by the chapels to the Calvary, or large cross, at the north 

 end of the town. It was preceded by a man in a long 

 black robe, a false beard reaching down to the waist, and 

 a tall hat like a fool's cap. He went along producing 

 horribly discordant sounds upon a horn, and was supposed 

 to represent Judas ! Meanwhile all was being prepared 

 in the church for the second procession — that of Nossa 

 Senhora dos Passos. This consisted of a number of men 

 carrying candles, who, with a band of sixty girls and my 

 boy, went from the principal church to that of St. Antonio, 

 to bring thence the image of Our Lady. The little girls 

 were mostly in white, but some were in very fantastic 

 dresses of various colours, or of cloth of gold or silver, and 

 with real swan's wings on their backs. Two of them were 

 the little daughters of Joaquim Ribeiro. The two processions 

 met — coming from different ends of the town — ^just opposite 

 the church, when a sermon was preached in the open air 



