CREOLE NEGROES. 



219 



are the privates nor any other person belonging 

 to these regiments paid for their services. Some 

 of the whites rather ridicule the black - (Beers, 

 but not in their presence ; and the laugh which 

 is raised against them is caused perhaps by a 

 lurking wish to prevent this insulted race from 

 the display of those distinctions which the go- 

 vernment has wisely conceded to them, but 

 which hurt the European ideas of superiority. 

 The old regiment of Henriques was, at the 

 time that I resided in Pernambuco, without a 

 colonel, and I heard much discussion on several 

 occasions among the Creole negroes, about the 

 fittest person to be appointed to the vacant 

 situation. * 



The creole negroes of Recife are, generally 

 speaking, mechanics of all descriptions ; but 

 they have not yet reached the higher ranks of 

 life, as gentlemen, as planters, and as merchants. 

 Some of them have accumulated considerable 

 sums of money, and possess many slaves, to 

 whom they teach their own trade, or .these slaves 



: There was a rumour of the appointment of a. white man 

 as colonel of this regiment, and also of a white colonel for 

 the Recife mulatto regiment ; and I was asked by several 

 individuals of these casts whether there was any truth in the 

 report. I cannot believe any thing of this kind ; the liberal 

 policy which seems to pervade the Council of Rio de Janeiro 

 forbids that such a report should be believed ; but if this 

 should be true, most pernicious will be the consequences 

 which from .such a determination may be expected to proceed. 



