NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



185 



wbich was not exercised in behalf of the natives. There were, indeed, a 

 few Police Soldiers, stationed in different places ; and it was customary to 

 call for tbeir help, when any one apprehended danger, or was witness 

 to an attack upon another. I was once near at hand, when such a call 

 was made, and marked its consequences. The man of arms obeyed the 

 summons, but took so much time to adjust his sword, his pistol, 

 and his belts, and then to hear the case, as to give the culprit ample 

 opportunity to escape; and having done so, he magisterially said, — 

 " Now then, let us go." 



That there were well-principled and honourable men among the 

 inhabitants of Rio is readily allowed ; and it would be uncharitable to 

 question, whether the mixture of good with evil qualities, wbich abounds 

 every where else, was to be found there also. But in many of these 

 mixed characters there was an unusual preponderance of the evil ; and 

 a much larger proportion than common seemed to be altogether depraved. 

 Depravity, too, was not there redeemed by any national qualities of a 

 solid, nor even of a shewy, kind ; it was not, in general, thought neces- 

 sary to maintain that shadow of virtue, hypocrisy. Vices, which else- 

 where men are the most careful to hide, were seen stalking abroad as 

 publicly and unblushingly as the most abandoned could desire. Not 

 negroes and the populace alone contemplated them with apathy ; the 

 moral taste and feeling of persons of a higher cast partook so much of the 

 common taint that, when we mentioned with horror, the worst of crimes, 

 which we were obliged to witness, they often advanced something by 

 way of defence, and really appeared as much surprized at our mode of 

 thinking as if we had broached a new religion, or foisted into the old one 

 some scrupulous fancies. * r 



About the time before mentioned, several writing desks were 

 stolen from the abodes of British subjects; among them my own 

 disappeared, containing several papers of importance. We despaired 

 of recovering them by the common modes of tracing and apprehending 

 a thief, and therefore took other measures, which I will describe, because 

 there will be found connected with them, a characteristic illustration of 

 the way of administering justice in Rio. 



