110 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



the night. Before ten o'clock in the morning, when the sun began to rise 

 high, and the houses afforded little shade, white men became rare in the 

 streets, and the slaves were seen lounging at their ease, or sitting on the 

 ground at the doors, spinning or knitting, or platting a kind of flag, of 

 which they made baskets and hats. Others, among whom were probably- 

 some free blacks, continued their labours as porters, ran about on errands, 

 or carried on small trays, for sale, fruit or sweetmeats, articles of haber- 

 dashery, printed cottons, or a few other commodities. They were all 

 negroes, both male and female ; and a stranger, who happened to pass 

 through the city in the middle of the day, might almost suppose himself 

 transported into Africa. 



The persons who live by the performance of little occasional services, 

 and more especially by acting the part of porters, account themselves 

 exclusively entitled to every job which occurs in their line, and greatly 

 resent any interference with their employment and its profits. This was 

 one of the first lessons which I learned in the country. When my 

 baggage was removed from the ship, I chose to carry, in my own hand, 

 a bayoneted blunderbuss, enveloped in a woollen case. I had not pro- 

 ceeded far, when a gentleman, to whom I was entirely unknown, stopped 

 me, and requested that I would deliver what I carried to one of the 

 attendants, adding that it was wrong to deprive the blacks of their hire, 

 and that, by doing so, I incurred a considerable risk. He afterwards 

 explained himself, and assured me that, even for an imagined injury, the 

 lower classes of people sometimes exacted a severe revenge. This inci-* 

 dent led to a friendship between us, which afterwards proved a mutual 

 advantage. 



When beggars are mentioned, it will be supposed that we are 

 approaching the close of this sketch of the Ranks and Employments of 

 the male population in Rio. These formed a numerous body, and were 

 very importunate in their demands. Scarcely any one was ashamed of 

 begging ; even wealthy men were often heard to ask for boons. This 

 gradually declined, and an intimation that a certain thing would be 

 acceptable was resorted to ; this too was, after a time, softened into 



