EXPENSES AT PARA 



of the northern nations of Europe, than those of the 

 mother-country Portugal. I was glad to see several new 

 booksellers' shops, and also a fine edifice devoted to a 

 reading-room supplied with periodicals, globes, and maps, 

 and a circulating library. There were now many printing- 

 offices and four daily newspapers. The health of the 

 place had greatly improved since 1850, the year of the 

 yellow fever, and Para was now considered no longer 

 dangerous to newcomers. 



So much for the improvements visible in the place, 

 and now for the dark side of the picture. The expenses 

 of living had increased about fourfold, a natural con- 

 sequence of the demand for labour and for native pro- 

 ducts of all kinds having augmented in greater ratio than 

 the supply, through large arrivals of non-productive re- 

 sidents, and considerable importations of money on 

 account of the steamboat company and foreign merchants. 

 Para, in 1848, was one of the cheapest places of residence 

 on the American continent ; it was now one of the dearest. 

 Imported articles of food, clothing, and furniture were 

 mostly cheaper, although charged with duties varying 

 from 18 to 80 per cent., besides high freights and large 

 profits, than those produced in the neighbourhood. Salt 

 codfish was twopence per pound cheaper than the vile 

 salt pirarucu of the country. Oranges, which could 

 formerly be had almost gratis, were now sold in the streets 

 at the rate of three for a penny ; large bananas were a 

 penny each fruit ; tomatos were from two to three pence 

 each, and all other fruits in this fruit-producing country 

 had advanced in like proportion. Mandioca-meal, the 

 bread of the country, had become so scarce and dear and 

 bad that the poorer classes of natives suffered famine, and 

 all who could afford it were obliged to eat wheaten bread 

 at fourpence to fivepence per pound, made from American 

 flour, 1200 barrels of which were consumed monthly ; 

 this was now, therefore, a very serious item of daily ex- 

 pense to all but the most wealthy. House-rent was most 

 exorbitant ; a miserable little place of two rooms, without 

 fixtures or conveniences of any kind, having simply blank 

 walls, cost at the rate of 18/. sterling a year. Lastly, the 

 hire of servants was beyond the means of all persons in 

 moderate circumstances ; a lazy cook or porter could not 

 be had for less than three or four shillings a day, besides 

 his board and what he could steal. It cost me half- a- 



