192 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



same way, but, attracted by the ardour of the Preacher, or the singu- 

 larity of the ceremonies, had insensibly gone into the Church farther 

 than usual. I quickly perceived myself an object of notice, and saw a 

 smile on the countenances of some of my acquaintance ; when, looking 

 round, I was shocked to observe just behind me, the half-concealed repre- 

 sentation of the body of Jesus Christ, lying in an open coffin. My 

 position would, in many places, have been construed into contempt for 

 the rites then performing, and exposed me to great danger ; here it was 

 considered as the pardonable mistake of a heretic, arising from such 

 ignorance as rendered him an object of pity. When the funeral obsequies 

 were performed, half a dozen Priests carried the body, in its receptacle, 

 through the streets, followed by all the principal people of the town, a 

 whole regiment of soldiers, with their arms reversed, and military 

 music. In England, the procession might have passed for the funeral 

 of an officer of rank ; except for the exhibition of a picture, and the 

 presence of a few boys with wings stuck on their shoulders, in the 

 character of angels. 



Another" anecdote will be allowed to mark great benevolence, 

 though, according to our conceptions, not well directed. It was men- 

 tioned, on another occasion, that the Mate of a British vessel was 

 apprehended and confined for some time, at St. Pedro, previous to his 

 being transmitted for trial to the Admiral's station at Rio de Janeiro. 

 Here he became an object of general commiseration, because the property 

 was almost all recovered ; and the people, never thinking of the nature 

 of a crime, but merely of the extent of a loss, regarded the offence as 

 a slight one, and its punishment as severe. They even supposed that, 

 were the whole sum restored, no farther notice should be taken of the 

 affair. Under such impressions, a Gentleman of the town privately 

 offered double the deficiency, if the culprit might be £st at liberty. The 

 officers too, under whose custody he was placed, entered into a subscrip- 

 tion, to bribe the prosecutor to what they accounted mercy; and it 

 became afterward known, that failing in this purpose, they were much 

 inclined to suffer him to escape, and were restrained only by the recol^ 



