74 



JOURNEY TO GOIANA. 



We dined on one occasion with the proprietor 

 of the Musumbu estate ; this gentleman and a 

 few others, besides ourselves, dined in one apart- 

 ment, whilst the ladies, of whom we were not 

 permitted even to have a transient view, were 

 in another adjoining. Two young men, sons of 

 the proprietor, assisted their father's slaves in 

 waiting upon us at dinner, and did not sit down 

 themselves until we rose from table. The owner 

 of the place is a Portuguese. It is among this 

 portion of the population, who have left their 

 own country to accumulate fortunes in Brazil, 

 that the introduction of improvement is almost 

 impossible. Many Brazilians likewise, even of 

 the higher class, follow the Moorish customs of 

 subjection and seclusion; but these soon see the 

 preference which ought to be given to more 

 civilised manners, and easily enter into more 

 polished habits, if they have any communication 

 with the towns. 



On the 24th of October, I delivered a letter 

 of introduction which I had obtained at Recife, 

 to the Dr. Manuel Arruda da Carnara. This 

 interesting person then lay at Goiana very ill of 

 dropsy, brought on by residing in aguish dis- 

 tricts. He was an enterprising man, and had 

 always been an enthusiast in botany. His superior 

 abilities would have caused him to be caressed 

 by a provident Government, when one of this 

 description is establishing itself in an unculti- 



