TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 137 



terior seems unworthy of the monarch of so pro- 

 mising and rising a kingdom. In general, the 

 style of architecture in Rio is mean, and resem- 

 bling that of the old part of Lisbon ; yet it seems 

 that architecture, the works of which so immedi- 

 ately relieve one of the greatest wants of human 

 life, will improve more rapidly than the other arts. 

 The presence of the court already begins to have 

 a favourable effect on the style of building, as is 

 proved among other edifices, by the new Mint, and 

 several private houses in Catete and Mato-porcos ; 

 they continue also to blow up rocks of granite 

 with gunpowder, partly to make the city more 

 level and connected, and partly to adorn it with 

 new buildings. Among the churches, which alto- 

 gether have neither fine paintings, nor works of 

 sculpture, but only rich gilding, those da Cande- 

 laria, de S. Francisco, de Paula, are distinguished 

 by their good style of architecture, and that of 

 Nossa Senhora da Gloria, by its elevated station ; 

 but the finest and most beautiful monument of 

 architecture of which Rio can at present boast, is 

 the Aqueduct, which was completed in 1740; it 

 is an imitation of the noble work of the same kind 

 erected by John V. at Lisbon, by the lofty arches 

 of which, spring water is brought from the Corco- 

 vado to the fountains in the city. The largest of 

 these fountains, in the square in front of the 

 palace, and close to the harbour, supplies the 

 ships, and is constantly surrounded by crowds of 



