284 HISTORY AND ETHNOLOGY. 



slaves in the United States is mild and kind, and great attachment is fre- 

 quently observed to exist between master and slave, especially domestics and 

 such as have been born and reared on the estate. In South America the 

 slaves are treated less humanely, often even with great cruelty ; but there 

 can be no doubt that an improved political condition would be the source 

 of improvement in the social condition of the slaves. As yet scenes like 

 those represented in our plates are not unfrequently witnessed in Brazil. 

 (PL S4:,fig. 1, a slave trader ;^^. 2, the punishment of the stocks ; ^g-. 3, 

 the scourge. PL S2, Jig. 4, a free negro bringing back a runaway slave; 

 Jig. 3, negroes of Bahia. PL 34, Jig. 4, negroes employed in the prepara- 

 tion of manioc flour ; Jig. 5, others returning home from hunting ; and 

 Jig. 6, others, again, as porters. PL S],Jig. 1, two sedan bearers, and with 

 them travelling farmers (sertomejos), of the Brazilian province of Rio 

 Grande. PL 35, Jig. 5, negroes of San Paulo dancing. PL 36, Jigi^S, 

 dance of Indians in the mission of St. John. PL 33. fig. 2, diamond dealer, 

 andj^^. 3, negroes as diamond washers.) 



Diamonds are searched for by negro slaves, under strict supervision ; in 

 doing which they make use of the same kind of box employed in washing 

 for gold. When a diamond is discovered by one of them, in the sand 

 brought up from the bed of the river, he rises from his seat, and claps 

 thrice with his hands. As long as the washing continues the overseers 

 follow vigilantly the movements of all the slaves, lest they should embezzle 

 any of the diamonds. Still, in spite of this strict supervision and the severe 

 punishment which they have to expect upon discovery, they understand 

 how to conceal, during the washing, between the fingers or toes, in the 

 ears, in the mouth, in the frizzled hair, &c., the diamonds found by them. 



In the preparation of flour from manioc (Jairopha manihot, pL 34, Jig. 4), 

 the roots of this plant are first scraped, in order to free them from the bark. 

 They are then held on a large revolving wheel, and by this means ground 

 to a jelly. After this, the mass is placed in long wide hose, plaited of reeds 

 and bast, which are hung up and drawn out, thus making them narrower, 

 and pressing out the juice of the mass. The remaining pulpy mass is thrown 

 into large pans of copper or burnt clay set in mason- work, in which it is fully 

 dried by heat, being constantly stirred in order that the mass may not burn. 

 Of the meal thus obtained a savory bread is baked, which keeps for months. 



The Nations of Oceania. 



Oceania, spread over a greater portion of the earth's surface than the 

 other four divisions of the world together, is the least known of all, but 

 the richest and the most remarkable in the variety of objects presented to 

 view. It might be termed the region of wonders. It contains the most 

 opposite races, the strangest productions of nature, and the most remarkable 

 monuments of the arts. Oceania consists of islands merely, the largest of 

 which, situated to the south-east of Asia, is not unfrequently considered a 

 continent, on account of its magnitude. It is called New Holland or 

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