118 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



of children; more complacency than sorrow among remoter relativeSj 

 and even in the mother, no deep anguish, nothing scarcely to distinguish 

 her from the other attendants. 



On one occasion of this sort, a mother was heard to express herself 

 in this strain, — " Oh, how happy I am ! Oh, how happy I am ! for my 

 last child is now dead ; Oh, how happy I am ! When I die, and go to 

 the gate of Heaven, I shall not fail of admittance, for there will be five 

 little children, all pressing toward me, pulling my skirts, and saying, Oh 

 mother, do come in, — do come in. Oh, how happy I am !" she again 

 exclaimed, and laughed immoderately. Were this a solitary instance of 

 strange matemal feeling, it might have been considered as the effect of 

 temporary mental aberration; but satisfaction in such events is too 

 general, and too openly inculcated, to leave room for an excuse of 

 this kind. I cannot think well of representations of a future state, 

 which thus dissolve the strongest bonds of social beings in this world. 



Domestic Arrangements in Rio will appear, if brought to our 

 standard, extremely defective. Neither in the habitations, nor in their 

 furniture, do we meet with many things, which we have accustomed 

 ourselves to regard as essential comforts ; they are not to be found in the 

 most spacious and the best provided dwellings. 



Many of the Houses, as was mentioned before, have only one story* 

 In this case, the front is generally occupied by a good-sized room, floored 

 with substantial boards, laid upon sleepers in the natural soil, which 

 renders the room almost constantly damp. Behind this, are alcoves, 

 containing beds, a kitchen, and a small inclosed yard ; in which, if the 

 master of the house be wealthy enough to keep a horse, there is a shed^ 

 to answer the purpose of a stable. As few such houses have the advan- 

 tage of a back door or separate passage, the way to the stable is commonly 

 through the principal apartment. In houses of two stories, occupied by 

 the higher classes, there is an open space, the. entrance to which is by a 

 large folding door, for the admission of horsemen and carriages. A broad 

 flight of steps leads from the court to the story above, Where are the 

 sitting and lodging rooms, some of which are rendered offensive to 



