RIO JANEIRO. 49 
the hard wood of the country, of great size and strength, which are 
necessary from the great tile roof they have to bear. Very few of 
the houses have yards, cellars, or gardens, consequently they are 
still greatly incommoded from the want of water-closets, detrimental 
both to health and comfort, and not only an annoyance and incon 
venience to the inhabitants themselves, but is shared by the stranger 
in passing through the streets. 
We of course saw all that was to be seen in Rio. The churches 
claimed our first attention. They are richly decorated in the 
interior, with massive gold and silver ornaments, and at this time 
glittering with gems and precious stones. On some of the altars of 
the saints it is the practice to suspend the diseased parts of the body 
in wax, in honour of the cure supposed to have been effected by the 
saints' intercession. The sight of these is truly disgusting, although 
they are far from being well executed. The chapel of St. Cecilia 
was visited on the saint's day, 25th November. The music was 
very fine, from a large choir, consisting, besides the organ, of flutes, 
hautboys, horns, and basses of all kinds, with about ten vocalists, 
two of whom were eunuchs, about seventy years of age. The 
music consisted of selections from the best masters. The performers 
were about seventy in number. The steps of the church and the 
street were strewed on this occasion with orange leaves. A number 
of females present were seated on the floor of the church, dressed in 
black, with white lace shawls, and wreaths of flowers round their 
heads. Fireworks, as usual in such ceremonies, were set off in front 
of the church at the beginning and end of the service. 
The Misericordia has now become much out of repair, and I 
understood had fallen off in its charitable usefulness, but it still 
shows the remains of its former splendour. Few monks were seen 
about, and dead bodies were laid out in the Green House. At the 
time we visited it there were eight, the greater part of whom were 
negroes. A monk was seen saying a hasty prayer over the bodies, 
which were at once thrown into the trench, when they were 
sprinkled with lime, placing one layer over the other, until the 
hole, about six feet square and as many deep, is filled or level with 
the surface. After one of the trenches is filled, another is dug by 
the side of it. The crowded state of this place of interment is but 
too evident from the number of skulls and bones lying about, some 
still with portions of flesh adhering to them. 
On the same evening, whilst this scene was still fresh m our 
VOL. I. 13 
