THE PROVINCE OF PARA 



25 



after another succeeded, until in 1855 the cholera swept 

 through the country and caused fearful havoc. Since 

 then, the healthfulness of the climate has been gradually 

 restored, and it is now fast recovering its former good 

 reputation. Para is free from serious endemic disorders, 

 and was once a resort of invalids from New York and 

 Massachusetts. The equable temperature, the perpetual 

 verdure, the coolness of the dry season when the sun's 

 heat is tempered by the strong sea-breezes and the modera- 

 tion of the periodical rains, make the climate one of the 

 most enjoyable on the face of the earth. 



The province is governed, like all others in the empire, 

 by a President, as chief civil authority. At the time of 

 our arrival he held also, exceptionally, the chief military 

 command. This functionary, together with the head of 

 the police administration and the judges*, is nominated 

 by the central Government at Rio Janeiro. The muni- 

 cipal and internal affairs are managed by a provincial 

 assembly elected by the people. Every villa or borough 

 throughout the province also possesses its municipal 

 council, and in thinly-populated districts, the inhabitants 

 choose every four years a justice of the peace who ad- 

 judicates in small disputes between neighbours. A system 

 of popular education exists, and every village has its 

 school of first letters, the master being paid by the govern- 

 ment, the salary amounting to about 70/., or the same 

 sum as the priests receive. Besides common schools a 

 well-endowed classical seminary is maintained at Para, 

 to which the sons of most of the planters and traders in 

 the interior are sent to complete their education. The 

 province returns its quota of members every four years 

 to the lower and upper houses of the imperial parliament. 

 Every householder has a vote. Trial by jury has been 

 established, the jurymen being selected from house- 

 holders, no matter what their race or colour ; and I have 

 seen the white merchant, the negro husbandman, the 

 mameluco, the mulatto and the Indian, all sitting side 

 by side on the same bench. Altogether the constitution 

 of government in Brazil seems to combine happily the 

 principles of local self-government and centralization, and 

 only requires a proper degree of virtue and intelligence 

 in the people to lead the nation to great prosperity. 



The province of Para, or, as we may now say, the two 

 provinces of Para and the Amazons contain an area of 



