PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 478 



realm. The early part of his political career fell upon the 

 stormy times when Brazil was struggling for her national 

 existence as an independent Empire ; but during the more 

 tranquil close of his life he seems to have been chiefly 

 occupied in works of benevolence, in founding charitable 

 institutions, and even in personal attendance upon the sick 

 and suffering. 



The name of this benevolent Brazilian is associated not 

 only with the Misericordia hospital, but also with the ad- 

 mirable asylum for the insane at Botafogo, which bears 

 the name of the present Emperor. A great part of the 

 funds for this establishment were obtained in an original 

 way, which shows that Pereira knew how to turn the 

 weaknesses of his countrymen to good account. The 

 Brazilians are addicted to titles, and the government of- 

 fered distinctions of this kind to wealthy citizens who 

 would endow the insane asylum. They were to be either 

 commendadores or barons, the importance of the title being 

 in proportion to the magnitude of their donations. Large 

 sums were actually obtained in this way, and several of 

 the titled men of Rio thus purchased their patents of 

 nobility. When I first arrived in Rio de Janeiro, mere 

 chance led me to visit this asylum. Entering as a stran- 

 ger, I saw only the outer rooms, listened to the evening 

 service in the chapel for a few moments, and was struck 

 with the order and quiet which seemed to prevail. It 

 certainly never would have occurred to me that I was 

 in an insane hospital. To-day Mr. Agassiz and myself, 

 accompanied by our friend Dr. Pacheco da Silva, passed 

 several hours there, and saw the whole establishment in 

 detail. The building faces upon Botafogo Bay, having the 

 beach immediately before it ; on its right the picturesque 



