174 



NOTES ON BRAZID. 



who was also a stranger, to see the place, glad to find that we were not 

 attended, as had been expected, by a soldier, to watch over our conduct 

 under pretence of guarding us from insult. This circumstance convinced 

 us that the people had no violent prepossessions against our nation ; and 

 rendered us much more circumspect in our behaviour than the strictest 

 surveillance could have done. 



Previous to the year 1773, this town appears to have been the capital 

 of the Province ; it is now dependant on Porto Alegro, where are estab- 

 lished all the principal offices of the state, ecclesiastical, civil, and 

 military. The vicinity of the ocean, however, secures to it a permanent 

 consequence. Here all vessels are required to deliver their papers, and 

 the larger sort seldom proceed any higher. Here, too, the principal 

 merchants reside, or have established agents ; so that it may be considered 

 as the great mart of Southern Brazil. 



The town, situated in a level plain not many inches above high 

 water mark, contains about five hundred dwellings; and the whole 

 number of stationary inhabitants may perhaps be two thousand, two- 

 thirds of which are supposed to be white, or very slightly tinged. But 

 some of the houses, belonging to persons who reside on their estates, are 

 seldom occupied except at religious festivals. The principal row of 

 houses runs East and West, enjoying from their latticed windows the 

 prospect of an extensive flat and bare island, across a w^ater which is 

 about six hundred yards over. Behind this row, which is really neat 

 and pretty, is a street of small, low huts, constructed of mud, and 

 covered with thatch, the habitations of the lower ranks. Here those 

 accumulations of sand, which have already been mentioned, frequently 

 take place; and during my continuance in St. Pedro several of the 

 houses were nearly overwhelmed by them, and greatly injured. Were 

 it not for this barrier, the better ones would be exposed to the 

 same fate. 



The Public Buildings in St. Pedro, and the abodes of the most 

 conspicuous characters of the community, w^ould, of themselves, be 

 hardly worthy of notice ; but a few particulars relative to them may serve 

 to illustrate the state of the place. 



