PROVINCE OF BAHIA. 



337 



hospital for the cure of the poor, a recolhimento for white orphans, and a great 

 number of chapels, many of which, as well as the churches, are splendid ; they 

 appear every where to be the only public objects which engross the peculiar 

 consideration of the government and the people ; and here, as in all other places, 

 the respectable parishioners go in short cloaks of crimson and other colours 

 about the streets uncovered, begging for the churches, with a long wand and an 

 embroidered bag, with the figure of our Saviour upon it, in their hands. Churches 

 and convents are nearly the only public establishments in all towns that are at 

 all worthy of description, of which latter this city also has a numerous catalogue ; 

 namely, the monasteries of the slippered and unslippered Carmelites, of the 

 Benedictines, and the Franciscans, which is the most sumptuous edifice of the 

 whole; the alms and entertaining houses of Terra Santa, unsHppered Agostinhos, 

 slippered Carmelites, Benedictines, Franciscans, and Italian Barbadinhos ; also 

 four convents of nuns, two recolhimentos more; and four Terceira orders of St. 

 Domingos, St. Francisco, Carmo, and SS. Trinidade. 



The Jesuits had a magnificent college (the front of whose church is of 

 European stone) occupying the best situation of the city, now converted into a 

 military hospital, with a chapel in the interior ornamented with many paintings 

 that represent the life of S. Estanislaw Kosca, and a school of surgery. The 

 religious processions and festivities are much the same here as at Rio de Janeiro. 

 The palace of the governor on one side commands a view of the port and the 

 lower city, and fronts into the Praca da Parada, the eastern part of which is 

 formed by the camara or council house. The archiepiscopal palace is of two 

 stories, one side facing to the sea, and with a passage to the cathedral, which 

 has a spacious nave : the chapter consists of eighteen canons. 



There is a mint, a port admiral, an intendant of gold, a civil court of rela- 

 9am, presided by the governor, at present the Count de Palraa. This court, 

 created here by Philip 1. in 1609, was abolished by Philip II. and re-established 

 by John IV. in 1652. There is also an ecclesiastical court and a junta da 

 fazenda real, (the treasury,) for the administration of the affairs of the pro- 

 vince, composed of five deputies, viz. the chancellor of the rela9am, the port 

 admiral, the procurador do coroa, (attorney-general,) the treasurer, and, the 

 escrivam, (chief of the treasury,) also presided by the governor ; likewise 

 another, called the house of inspection relative to commerce and agriculture, 

 with an equal number of deputies, consisting of two merchants and two planters, 

 one of tobacco the other of sugar, with a secretary ; the intendant of gold is 

 president. There are eight royal professorships of philosophy, rhetoric, mathe- 



