PROVINCE OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 



65 



St. Sebastian, or the Royal Chapel, stands pre-eminent ; its richly-gilded walls, 

 carved work, and splendidly-ornamented altars, glittering with a profusion of 

 gold, silver, and precious stones, surpass in brilliancy any thing that could be 

 imagined, by a plain Christian, as essential to the purposes of divine worship. 

 The chapel has some paintings, and one large piece over the chief altar, into 

 which the late Queen and the principal part of the royal family are introduced. 

 The King has a large box, not unlike an opera-box, above the place where grand 

 mass is performed ; here his Majesty and the rest of the family take their seats 

 on festival-days ; the bishop, in white or yellow satin, richly embroidered with 

 gold, his mitre of the same, sits in great state below, opposite to the King, 

 when he is not engaged in any part of the ceremony, in which he is assisted by 

 a prodigious number of padres, and the service is performed with vast mag- 

 nificence. The organ, accompanied by a crowd of vocal performers, amongst 

 whom are five or six eunuchs, gratify, with some of the finest music of the 

 Brazil, the audience, consisting, on some occasions, of many fidalgos, judges, 

 ministers, and various individuals, who, in their gaudy robes, sit upon benches 

 along the body of the chapel. There are others also who are led there by 

 curiosity. 



Here the King will sometimes spend the whole day, and, upon the celebra- 

 tion of some favourite saint's day, will remain till midnight. These holidays 

 and festivities are usually attended by an immense consumption of gunpowder, 

 in rockets, fireworks, &c. The days of some saints are remarkable for the 

 right every man, bearing the same name, assumes of lighting up a great bonfire 

 in front of his house ; and I remember accompanying a friend in his chaise, on 

 the evening of St. John's day, when we had some difficulty in getting the horse 

 through the flames and sky-rockets that illuminated and occupied the whole 

 street fronting the dwellings of all the Senhor Joaos. The horses generally, 

 however, do not regard it, being so accustomed to fire and gunpowder. During 

 my stay at Rio, a bell was christened, and placed on the south side of the 

 royal chapel with much ceremony. The King was godfather and the widow 

 Princess godmother. The bell was named John the Sixth, in honour of his 

 Majesty, who sprinkled it w ith salt and water, and at the period that it was 

 hoisted to its ultimate position, the town resounded with fireworks and sky- 

 rockets. 



Religious exhibitions and feasts succeed each other with very little intermission; 

 and the Brazilian calendars present an innumerable list of them. At Whitsuntide, 

 three or four days are dedicated to the consecration of oxen, fowls, &c. and 



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