

FISHERMEN. 



277 



hoard many more stories of the same nature ; 

 but these will, I think, suffice to show the state 

 of the city of St.Luiz at the time and just before 

 I visited that place. 



The Governor was a very young man, and a 

 member of one of the first noble families of Por- 

 tugal.* There are few situations in which it is 

 so greatly in a man's power to be much beloved 

 or much disliked as that of governor of a pro- 

 vince in Brazil ; in which a man may be either 

 the benefactor or the scourge of the people over 

 whom he is sent to rule. 



My friend's residence, in which I staid during 

 my visit to Maranham, was situated by the wa- 

 ter-side, and almost within hail of the ships at 

 anchor in the harbour. I was amused sometimes 

 at the rapidity with which the fishermen paddled 

 their canoes ; these are long, and of just width 

 sufficient to allow of two men sitting abreast. I 

 have seen in one of them as many as sixteen men 

 in two rows, with each a paddle, which they 

 move with quickness and great regularity. The 

 last men upon the bench steer the canoe when 

 necessary, placing the paddle so as to answer 

 the purpose of a rudder ; one or other of the two 

 men steering, according to the direction which 

 the vessel is to take. These fellows are mostly 



* He has been removed, was ordered to Lisbon, and ul- 

 timately, on his return to Rio de Janeiro, was refused admit- 

 tance, for a short time, to the Prince Regent. 



T 3 



