390 



VALENTOENS. 



ground. I had heard much of this ceremony 

 from persons of the country, and I cannot avoid 

 saying, that although something of the ridicu- 

 lous may by many persons be attached to it, still 

 I could not help feeling much respect for it. 

 The excitement of devout feelings among the 

 slaves, even of those feelings which are produced 

 by the Roman Catholic religion, cannot fail to 

 be serviceable, and if men are to exist as slaves 

 this is doubtless the religion which is the best 

 adapted to persons in a state of subjection. 

 Slavery and superstition are however two evils 

 which, when combined, are surely sufficient to 

 cause the misery of any country. 



The carts, the oxen, and their drivers had not 

 received the priest's benediction ; they arrived 

 some time afterwards, bringing loads of canes, 

 and the carts were ornamented with the longest 

 that could be picked out placed as flag-staffs, 

 and bearing upon them handkerchiefs and rib- 

 ands. Each cart in succession stood before the 

 door of the dwelling-house, and the priest com- 

 plied with the wishes of the drivers. 



There was a tall thin mulatto man of about 

 fifty-five years of age, of the name of Vicente, 

 who lived near to Jaguaribe ; he was in the 

 habit, when he saw me about my own place, of 

 stopping, that we might have some conversation. 

 I liked much to hear his stories. Jle said, that 

 now the country was becoming quieter, — that 



