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GOVERNOR OF MARANIIAM. 



genrtlemanlike officer, who heard what I had to 

 say, asked no questions, and soon dismissed us. 

 I thought I had seen the great man himself, but 

 was undeceived, and heard that he seldom 

 honoured any one with an audience. The 

 officer to whom we had spoken was the lieu- 

 tenant-colonel of the regiment of regular infan- 

 try. The guard at the palace consisted of one 

 company; the muskets were piled in front of the 

 chief entrance, and appeared to be in good order. 

 I soon discovered that St. Luiz was ruled with 

 most despotic sway ; the people were afraid of 

 speaking, as no man knew how soon it might 

 be his fate to be arrested, from some trifling 

 expression which he might allow to escape 

 him. The Governor was so tenacious of the 

 honours due to his situation, that he required 

 every person who crossed the area in front 

 of the palace to remain uncovered until he 

 had entirely passed the whole biulding. Not 

 that the Governor was himself always in view, 

 but this adoration was thought necessary even 

 to the building within which he dwelt. The 

 distinction, until then reserved by the Romish 

 church for its highest dignitaries, was however 

 not thought by His Excellency too exalted for 

 himself; the bells of the cathedral rang every 

 time he went out in his carriage. Persons, even 

 of the first rank in the place, were to stop, if in 

 their carriages or on horseback, when they met 



