B R A 



cor-Bt, (EmUfTyto China, vol. i. p. 17.2.) nil the white, 

 sre computvd at about 200,000, and the mimbcr ot Haves, 

 born in Africa, or dcfcendtd fiom fuch, is elhmated at 

 600,000. Probablv, the natives do not excetd one million. 

 Labour is chiefly performed by flaves, of whom about 

 30,000 are annually imported, and of thefc, about 5,000 

 are ufuallv fold every vcar at Rio. In the harbour of Ku., 

 at a place called Val I.ongo, are warchoufcs for the recep- 

 tion and preparation tor fale of the ilaves, that arc imported 

 thither, chiefly frtim Angola and Bensjnela. 1 his Ipot is 

 appropriated to the pnr],ofe of cleanfmg, fatUn.ng rei,.. 

 derintjOeek and faleable, and concealing the dekiU of tint, 

 clafsof beings, who, it is faid, feem little feiilible of the 

 humiliation of their condition. The average price on in.- 

 portation is :.bout 28I. ftrrhnfr each. Before tluy are 

 Ihipped from Afnca. a duty of lo,ooo reis a head is paid 

 to the queen of Portug-al's agent there ; the wh.ole aniount- 

 jno- to about 6o,oool. a-year, which goes into her privy 

 pu'rfe, and is not confiH.red as part of the public revenue. 

 The plantation flaves i„ the Brafils are allowed two daya 

 out of feven for their own purpofes, whic'l. is a greater in- 

 terval than that which is granted in the \\ eft Ind.a .n.uKh. 

 They are upbraided for being addidtd to lleahng and \yug ; 

 their dlfpofition feems to he gay and attive, and eali!y_ re- 

 conciled to their fituat.on^ They f.ldoni recur to intoxica- 

 tion as a relief againft any f.elings of dil refs ; and they are 

 fond of mufic and dancing. Many of thefe flav-s are the 

 property of the crown, and of thele, about 10,000 are .m- 

 ployed in the diamond mines ; and fevrral of them are at- 



tached to convents The Benediaines alone had 1000 upon 

 their plantations ; fome of thefe fathers obferved, that the 

 offspring from the conneaion between the biacks and 

 whites were generally endowed with much intelligence and 

 ingenuity. S^.me of them they bred up carefully, and in- 

 ftrufted with fuch fucccfs, that they thonght themfelves 

 tinder no neceffity of fending perfons to the univerf.ties of 

 Portusal for a liberal education : one of this mixed breed, 

 as they boailed. having been promoted to a learned profef- 



fordiio at Lifljon. „ , . i_ 



The European fettlers, in all clafTes of fociety, are much 

 addided to gaiety and pleafure ; and though at R.o in par- 

 ticular, there are three convents for men and two for wo- 

 Len, the aufterity and felf denial n.tended by their original 

 bftitution are little pradifed. Although the conqueit of 

 the country was at firft profelTedly undertaken for convert- 

 ing the natives to Chriftianity, and ample endowments have 

 b.en granted for this pnrpofe, yet none of the fnars now 

 en'gage in the troublefome, unf„fe, and perhap., hope lef 

 enfei-prife. No inquifition or tribunal ot the holy office has 

 been eftablhhed in the Brafils. Nev.rthelefs. the ceremo- 

 nfes of religion are regularly obferved, and even multiplied 

 at Rio. During the day-time, bells, and fomaimes fl.y- 

 rockets announce, at every hour, the performance of fome 

 Enty in. the churches; after fun-let the ftreets are 

 crowded^ with proceff.ons ; and at every corner is ftuck up, 

 haelafs-cafe, the image of the Virgin Mary, wluch re- 

 ceive! regular homage from paffengers. Men of the lower 

 ckffes generally wear cloaks when they walk abroad ; and 

 thofe of the middle and higher ranks neya- appear without 

 Wds. The ladies wear their hair hanging down .r. treffes, 

 ;n with ribbands, and adorned with flowers •> their l.ad 

 Wintr uncovered. In their vil.ts to the churches, both at 

 tafns andvefpers, they are very regular ; at other times, 

 They -ve generally feated at their balconies or windows. 

 Sly of fhem have fine dark eyes, .and anmated conute- 

 „ancls. In the evenings, they amufe themf U'es with play- 

 [„g on fome kmd of mufical inRrument, chiefly the harph. 



B R A 



chord or guitar. Among the more innocent pkafures of' 

 both clatfcs, arc operas, plays, and mafquerades, and aflem- 

 blies in a public garden. In Brafil, tlie convents and mo- 

 naileries are nninerons, but the manutaaoiier, more rare. 



The original inhabitants of the Brahk have h«en found ■ 

 incapable of being reduced to a (late of fiavciy, or even to 

 the domeftic habits of civil foc.etvv Children of tliefe na- 

 tives have been taken into Portnguefc families, and pains 

 have been taken, from motives of cnriofily, or of humanity, • 

 to domcftieate and inflnicl them; but their nature, it i«- 

 faid, is fo intraftable, that they conllantly return to thti-- 

 original habits of favage life, witW.ut retaininj,' any o» thi 

 principles which might reftrain their palTiouo or capricfs.. 

 Thefc people, though poor, fddom offer ihemfth.xs for 

 hire, and are- as Icldom coveted by the Portngnefe, except 

 for rowing tlieir boats, in which pradice they are remark- 

 ably expert. In their perfons they are generally fomewliat 

 vindtr the middle fi/.e, mnlcular, (lout, and a£tivc, of a- 

 lu-ht brown complexion, black, llrong, uii'-urling hair, with. 

 VCI7 httle beard; and large dirk.eys, which difcovcr no 

 mark of imbecility of intell-a ; their afpca, upon tho- 

 whole, indicates no trace cf ncannefs or vulgarity ; bc.t 

 their looks and expaffiims arc intelligent and diiln.dt. Their 

 chief pleafure f-cnis to confill in boiindiefs freedom ; and 

 whilll they cherifln an hereditary and implacable antipathy 

 to the invaders of their coirtry. tney withdraw troin the 

 confiderable frtlkments of the Portugntfe, and mafluore in- 

 dividuals, without remorfe, wherever they are found dil- 

 perfed and unproteaed. The c aft between Rio and BahiH 

 is dill very nuieh inhabited and frequented by them ; anei 

 this prevents any regular communication by land, betwtea 

 thele two places.' The language of the indigenous Brafili- 

 anshas not been invellii;ated by the Portugu. fe ; but that 

 which is molt widelv diftufed is the Quarania, or that ot 

 the Guaranis. They have no books in tlieir eiwn language. 



As to the government of the Brafils each province has 

 its refpeaive chief, under the viceroy, but they receive their 

 inftruaions from the court at Lifbon. They are ufuallv ap-- 

 pointed for three years, but continued at pWifure. l-ach.. 

 dillria has a particular judge, from whofc fentences an- 

 appeal lies to the fuperior tribunals of Rio Janeiro or 



Lifl^on. „r J c 



Brasil, or BRAZiL-/rW. Fernambouc \\ood.— ba- 

 pan Wood. The tree which bears this important wood is 

 Ihe CiESALPiNiA Cri/ia.- Linn. This wood is very hard, 

 takes a high polifti, and is fo heavy as to fink in water. . 

 When chewed, it has a fweetifli talle. It refembles in ap- 

 pearance red faundersi but is diftinguiflied from it readily, 

 by giving out its colour to water, which faunders-wood 



does not. , j 



Brafil wood is valuable for the beautiful orange and red 

 colour in various fnades which it furniflies to the dver, and 

 itJ analyfis is of fome importance. Boiled in water for fome 

 time, the wood furnilhes a fine red decoau.n. The relidue 

 appears black, but alkalies will dill extraa much colour 

 from it. Spirit of wine and ammonia alio readily exUaCt a 

 colour which is of a deeper red than the preceding. 



When fulphuric acid is added flowly to a frefli watery de- 

 coaion of brafil wood, a fmall quantity of red precipitate 

 falls down, and the clear liquor now afl-umts a yehow. ^ltrlc 

 acid produces a fimiiar change, but the liquor 13 more ot an 

 orange. Molt of the other acids alfo produce a red precipi- 

 tate, and leave the liquor of various fiiades of yellow and 

 orano-e. The alkalies rellore the colour of the hqtior, but 

 witira tendency to c imfoii and violet-brown. 



The adion of the fohitions of tin and e.f alum is themott 

 important. Alum giveJ a fine red precipitate in gr^at abun- 



