176 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



hats, ribbons, and feathers, and high-heeled boots. A 

 brief sentence will be enough to speak of the men. The 

 slaves and poorer classes dress in a variety of materials — 

 sackcloth, cotton, and wool. The gentry generally in 

 black frock-coats, white trousers, and black ties, with soft 

 black felt or round " pot " hats. I have never seen a silk 

 hat worn here. 



May 26. — The great labour of packing up is concluded. 

 We had arranged for two ox-carts to come at nine this 

 morning; they did not arrive till 11.30. The work of 

 packing them was no trifle, as, owing to their having first 

 been to the office, much of the luggage had to be taken 

 out and rearranged. The natives do not understand that 

 it is advisable to have all the heavy luggage at the bottom 

 of the carts, not only to prevent crushing up lighter bag- 

 gage, but also to prevent the vehicles overturning when, 

 on these admirable roads, one side is a yard or so higher 

 than the other. 



Having sent off everything except what we were to 

 take with us, we, in a body, paid a round of farewell visits. 

 I always dislike saying " good-bye," and in this case did 

 not disguise the feeling I had that it might be for a length- 

 ened period ; indeed, as far as I' was concerned, perhaps 

 final. Poor Padre Pinto actually shed tears. 



At 6 p.m. I saw a magnificent atmospheric effect. 

 There was a superb after-glow, and in the midst of the 

 crimson light was the new moon, with the faintest crescent 

 of shining white, whilst the refraction from the earth 

 revealed the whole of the moon's surface in a dark green 

 tint. 



May 27. — Up at 5 a.m. Thermometer 37° outside; 

 coldest during the night 31°. Very damp and cold; of 

 course, pitch dark. By six there was a heavy, penetrating, 



