VI 



TOWN OF RECIFE. 



latto women, in the middle ranks of life, do not 

 move out of doors in the day-time ; they hear 

 mass at the churches before day-light, and do 

 not again stir out, excepting in sedan chairs, or 

 in the evening on foot, when occasionally a 

 whole family will saliy forth to take a walk. 



The upper harbour of Recife, called the 

 Mosqueiro, as has been already said, is formed 

 by the reef of rocks which runs parallel with 

 the town at a very small distance. The lower 

 harbour, for vessels of 400 tons and upwards, 

 called the P090, is very dangerous, as it is open 

 to the sea, and the beach opposite to it is very 

 steep. The large Brazil ships, belonging to 

 merchants of the place, lie here for months at a 

 time, moored with four cables, two a-head and 

 two a-stern. If precautions are not taken very 

 speedily, the entrance to the harbour of Mos- 

 queiro will be choaked up, owing to a breach in 

 the reef, immediately within the small fort, which 

 is called Picam. The port has two entrances, 

 one of which is deeper than the other. The 

 tide does not rise more than five and a half feet. 

 The principal defence of the town consists in 

 the forts Do Buraco * and Do Brum, both of 



Europeans of this nation; and the word Brazilian, when 

 speaking of white persons born in Brazil. 



* This is the name by which the fort is usually distinguish- 

 ed, but I rather think that it is not its proper appellation. 



