THE PEASANTRY, 



91 



tained my knowledge of them. But he was not 

 the only person whose comprehension, thus taken 

 by surprise, could not contain the new ideas 

 which were imparted, by the knowledge of the 

 existence of books spread all over the world, and 

 of men who wrote for the instruction of others. 

 Some of these people with whom I conversed 

 were much puzzled, when I spoke of the variety 

 of languages and countries in the world ; "Then," 

 they would say, " how is it that people under- 

 stand each other?" To this I answered, that these 

 languages were to be acquired by study. " Yes, 

 I understand you," they would rejoin, "you are 

 all much cleverer than we are here* ; we could 

 not learn any language but our own." These 

 people were invariably humble, and always ready 

 to receive instruction. 



The peasantry of the sugar-plantation districts 

 near to the coast, and the fishermen, are of cha- 

 racters nearly similar, but the former are more 

 favourably spoken of than the latter, and I can- 

 not avoid saying, that I should prefer as a servant 

 a man who had been brought up as a planter of 

 mandioc, to one whose life had been passed up^n 

 AJangada. These people are said to be less 

 courageous, less sincere, and less hospitable than 

 the Sertanejos ; but they are likewise less vin- 

 dictive, more obedient, more easily guided, and 



* " A sua genie he metis sabida que a nossa.'' 



