THE NEGRO RACE. 



183 



During a week spent in different parts of the island Madeira, I 

 met with no Negroes, except at the port of Funchal ; and the few 

 individuals seen at this place, may have been connected with the 

 foreign shipping. 



On the other hand, the population of the Cape Verd Islands, judg- 

 ing from our hasty visit, appeared to be principally composed of Ne- 

 groes ; and they were living in a very rude state for the subjects of a 

 civilized government. They however exhibited a certain air of inde- 

 pendence, not seen in the same race in the United States. 



Brazil had more of the aspect of a European colony ; although Ne- 

 groes formed the most numerous class of the population of Rio Janeiro 

 and its environs; and instances of even mixed descent, were compara- 

 tively rare. Most of these Negroes were slaves ; but very many, were 

 employed as soldiers in the military police. Others held places of 

 honour and trust under the government ; and one man was spoken of, 

 as being distinguished for his abilities as an advocate. Several of the 

 women too moved, with their Portuguese husbands, in the first circles 

 of society. 



I was careful to look among the imported Negroes for traces of 

 some different race ; but I was unable to detect any ; neither have 

 I met with more success in other parts of America. A second race 

 may have been sometimes included in the importations from Mada- 

 gascar ; but otherwise, I think, instances have been extremely rare ; 

 prior at least to the recent introduction by the English of people of 

 Hindoostan. 



Some Negroes were seen among the ' guachos' or mounted herds- 

 men of the Rio Negro, in North Patagonia. " They had come by 

 land from Buenos Ayres;" and they hardly appeared to be on the 

 footing of slaves. 



There are perhaps fewer Negroes in Chili, than in any other 

 Europeanized portion of America. I do not remember seeing more 

 than ten or twelve, during the eighteen days I spent in Chili, chiefly 

 at the cities of Valparaiso and Santiago. 



In Peru, Negroes are common ; but they are chiefly confined to the 

 vicinity of the coast, where many of them are held as slaves ; and 

 where the practice of merely " requiring them to furnish their masters 

 with stated sums of money, had contributed essentially to the frequency 

 of robberies." Some of the free Negroes seen at Lima, had reached 

 the middle class of society ; but I did not hear of any one who had 

 acquired eminence, or who held an important office. In the churches, 



