264 



JOURNEY FROM CARAVELLAS 



is the church, the former Jesuits" convent, now the abode of the pro- 

 fessor of the Latin language, and the town-house, with the prison. 

 The greatest part of the inhabitants have, however, removed from the 

 eminence to another part of the town, nearer to the river, which is 

 called Os Marcos, and is more advantageously situated for trade. 

 This part of the town, which is the most considerable, is situated on 

 the declivity, and is built in a straggling, irregular manner, chiefly 

 consisting of low houses, most of which are surrounded with 

 groves of orange and banana-trees. Here reside the most opulent 

 of the inhabitants, the owners of the vessels engaged in the trade of 

 Porto Seguro. The third part of the town lies close to the mouth of 

 the river ; it is called Potinha, or Ponta d'Area ; and, excepting some 

 vendas, consists for the most part of low scattered houses, inhabited 

 by fishermen, or sea-faring people, and shaded by cocoa-palms. The 

 upper town is generally very desolate and dead ; many houses are 

 even shut up, and dilapidated ; for it is only on Sundays and holi- 

 days that people meet in this upper part, but it is then rendered 

 very lively by the number of well-dressed persons. The Portuguese 

 are very punctual in their attendance at mass, and all are anxious to 

 appear there in their best apparel. People who go almost naked 

 during the week, appear dressed in the neatest manner on Sunday. 

 We must, indeed, do the Brazilians of all classes the justice to say, 

 that cleanlmess and neatness in dress are general among them. 



Immediately above the pretty steep declivity, lies the convent of 

 the Jesuits, a large massy building. I was received here with great 

 hospitality by the professor, Antonio Joaquim Morreira do Pinha : 

 from his windows we enjoyed a fine prospect of the calm surface of 

 the sea ; our eyes followed the vessels as they sailed from us to the 

 remote horizon, and our thoughts accompanied them to our distant 

 native country. On both sides we overlooked a great extent of coast, 



