

GOVERNOR OF MARANHAM. 



275 



him, and were to allow him to pass before they 

 were again to move forwards. 



I was introduced to several of the first mer- 

 chants and planters, and particularly to the 

 Colonels Joze Gon9alvez da Silva and Simplicio 

 Dias da Silva ; the latter is the sub-governor of 

 Parnaiba, a small port situated about three de- 

 grees to the eastward of St. Luiz. They are 

 both of them men of great wealth and of inde- 

 pendent spirit. The former is an elderly man 

 who has made a large fortune in trade, and 

 latterly has increased it in planting cotton. He 

 possesses between 1000 and 1500 slaves. On 

 one occasion the mulatto driver of his carriage, 

 though ordered by his master to stop, that the 

 Governor might pass, refused so to do. The fol- 

 lowing day an officer came to the old gentle- 

 man's house with orders to arrest the man. The 

 colonel sent for him and said, " Go, and I'll 

 take care of you ;" adding to the officer, " tell 

 His Excellency I have still several other drivers." 

 To the surprise of every person about the pri- 

 son, two servants made their appearance in the 

 evening with a tray, covered with a cloth which 

 was handsomely embroidered, and rilled with 

 the best kinds of victuals ; sweatmeats, &c. were 

 not forgotten. All this was for the driver, and 

 was repeated three times every day until the 

 man received an order for his release. 



The Colonel Simplicio had been sent for by 

 T 2 



