

Hi 



56 



CRIMINALS. 



of letters, each person must enquire for his own 

 at the office. When the commerce of Brazil was 

 trifling, compared to its present state, a post- 

 office managed in this manner was sufficient; but 

 in consequence of the increased activity of the 

 trade along the coast, and with Europe, some 

 attention ought to be given to the subject, to fa- 

 cilitate communication. There is a theatre at 

 Recife, in which are performed Portuguese 

 farces, but the establishment is most wretchedly 

 conducted. 



The Botanic Garden at Olinda is one of those 

 institutions which have arisen from the removal 

 of the Court to South America ; it is intended 

 as a nursery for exotic plants, from whence they 

 are to be distributed to those persons who are 

 willing and capable of rearing them. Thus the 

 bread-fruit tree has been introduced, the black 

 pepper plant, the large Otaheitan cane, and 

 several others. I much fear, however, that the 

 zeal shown at the commencement has somewhat 

 cooled. A botanist has been appointed with an 

 adequate salary. He is a Frenchman, who had 

 resided at Cayenne, and with this choice many 

 persons were much dissatisfied, as it was thought, 

 and with good reason, that a Portuguese subject 

 might have been found, quite capable of taking 

 the management of the garden. 



The sight, of all others, the most offensive to 

 an Englishman, is that of the criminals, wh<* 



