52 



PROVINCE OF RIO DE JANEIRO, 



This city is divided into seven parishes ; that of St. Sebastian, or the royal 

 chapel, dedicated to the use of the royal family, with a curate chosen from 

 the canons, that of Se, at present with a chapel and also a canonical curate, 

 St. Joze, St. Ritta, St. Anna, St. Francisco Xavier, and Our Lady of Can- 

 dellaria, the parish church of which, yet incomplete, presents a very handsome 

 frontispiece, and is also the only parochial church in the kingdom, where 

 chaplains, at this time fifteen in number, officiate daily, in form of a collegiate 

 church. There is a house of misericordia, with a hospital for the sick, and 

 an establishment for the reception of orphans, the legitimate offspring of white 

 parents, which place they leave on being married, and receive a certain dowry. 

 There are eleven chaplains for the purpose of praying at canonical hours in 

 the choir of the church. There is a convent of Benedictines and another of 

 Franciscans. The ci-devant convent of the slippered Carmelites now forms 

 a part of the palace, and their church is the royal chapel. The bishop is the 

 chaplain-mor. The chapter is composed at present of twenty-eight canons, of 

 whom eight use the vestments and adopt the usages of the monsenhores of the 

 patriarchal at Lisbon ; the others received, by law, the title of Senhoria, in 

 December, 1 808 ; they dress in cloaks, and the whole wear red stockings. 

 There is an alms' house of Terra-Santa, to entertain the travelling brotherhood. 

 The two seminaries of St. Joze and St. Joaquim are ill attended and as ill con- 

 ducted. In the latter Dr. Gardner, an English gentleman, lectures on chymistry, 

 but he has few pupils. He receives a stipulated salary, and is appointed by the 

 crown. Also a third order (Terceiras) of St. Francisco d'Assis, of Our Lady 

 of Carmo, with a beautiful chapel, and of St. Francisco de Paula, each with its 

 hospital, either complete or begun, for the poor brothers. The Jesuitical college 

 is converted into a royal military hospital, with schools of surgery ; and, agree- 

 ably to the tenure of the respective statutes upon this subject, five years are 

 required for the formation of competent surgeons. Amongst other chapels to 

 be remarked, is that of St. Peter, of a circular form, with an arched roof, 

 where ten chaplains perform divine service, and none are admitted into orders, 

 unless they can demonstrate that they are of the brotherhood of St. Peter : St. 

 Cruz, which has an elegant frontispiece ; there the military hold their religious 

 festivals: Hospicio, with an arched roof and a cupola: and Our Lady of Gloria, 

 situated upon an elevated point or headland, in great part surrounded with the 

 sea, which forms a very handsome and conspicuous object when viewed from the 

 bay. The hill upon which it stands runs along in uneven elevations as far as 

 Pria Flemingo, where it terminates in an abrupt precipice of granite rock. 



