

THE MILITIA. 



299 



English fashion too, and therefore was cut and 

 slashed away, so as to leave most unmercifully 

 in view several beauties which otherwise would 

 have remained concealed. This gown was of 

 muslin, and was worked down the middle and 

 round the bottom in several colours ; her shoes 

 were as small as could be allowed ; but the un- 

 fortunate redundance of size also reached the 

 ancles and the feet, and thus rendering com- 

 pression necessary ; the superabundance which 

 nature had lavishly bestowed, projected and 

 hung down over each side of the shoes. 



I became acquainted and somewhat intimate 

 with the Capitam-inor of a neighbouring district, 

 from frequently meeting him in my evening 

 visits to a Brazilian family. He was about to 

 make the circuit of his district in the course of 

 a few weeks, and invited one of my friends and 

 myself to accompany him in this review or visit 

 to his officers, to which we readily agreed. It 

 was arranged that he should make us acquainted 

 in due time with the day which he might ap- 

 point for setting out, that we might meet him at 

 his sugar-plantation, from whence we were to 

 proceed with him and his suite further into the 

 country. 



The Capitaens-mores, captains-major, are of- 

 ficers of considerable power. They have civil 

 as well as military duties to perform, and ought 

 ^0 be appointed from among the planters of most 



