OUR LIFE AT RIO DE JANEIRO. 191 



It is considered a disgrace to belong to the army in 

 Brazil, which shows in what regard it is held ; but, I be- 

 lieve, the navy is in a somewhat better condition. 



June 7. — The Emperor having invited one well-known 

 and good man to form a Cabinet, he refused ; and then 

 Senhor Dantas was summoned, who at last was able yester- 

 day to select a Ministry of Liberals. They are all un- 

 known men, but I hope may succeed ; however, I am 

 informed the only choice is in degree of corruption. The 

 Emperor was urged to dissolve Parliament, but there is a 

 great pressure of work which must be dealt with, and a new 

 Parliament could not assemble for two or three months, 

 probably more ; so his Majesty would not consent to this 

 step. The late Ministry was thrown out on a vote of con- 

 fidence. They had a majority of two ; but as four ministers 

 voted, it was really a minority of two, so they had to 

 give in. 



Our office is nearly four miles from here, and I some- 

 times walk there and back, which I could not have done at 

 Brumado, even with the mountain air. So much for good 

 food and Guinness's stout, which I get here in perfection at 

 six hundred reis (a shilling), for a small bottle. 



The insects of Minas were loth to leave me, so I brought 

 down two jiggers under the sole of my left foot, which I did 

 not discover for some days. Here I have the delight of 

 mosquitos, which torment me " some," as the Yankees say. 



The captain of a sailing-vessel, which has just put into 

 Rio for repairs, on her homeward journey with a cargo of 

 nitrates from Antofagasta, came up the other evening to 

 visit one of our fellow-boarders. He had lately heard of the 

 Pitcairn Islanders, whom he visited some years ago. John 

 Adam's descendants have all died out, but Christiansen's 



