410 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



that boat in three hours. The expression had no sooner escaped the 

 " hedge of my teeth," than I was sensible of its imprudence ; for the 

 Brazilians who were present heard it in profound silence, and I knew 

 enough of their general character to be aware that, when this is the 

 case, malice or treachery is generally intended. Toward evening, I 

 was waited upon by the Superintendent and his Officers ; the visit 

 was considered on both sides as a complimentary one, but it had not 

 continued long before his Lordship began upon the unfortunate ex- 

 pression. This attack was by no means unexpected, and I found it 

 expedient to be explicit, and to assume a little of character. I laughed 

 at his ignorance of mechanical powers, endeavoured to describe to him 

 our mode of heaving ballast in the Thames, and took some pains to 

 make him comprehend it. His office I treated with the utmost 

 respect, but behaved in a manner which should convince him that, as 

 as a man, I thought myself perfectly his equal, and felt quite indifferent 

 as to the opinion he might form of me. A little display of vanity, 

 on such occasions, among this people, is useful, and the traveller will 

 sometimes find it necessary. It is respected as current coin by the 

 world in general, and among ignorant people a compliment is esti- 

 mated by their opinion of his rank who pays it. I could not be 

 otherwise, therefore, than upon good terms with this mighty dispenser 

 of fate; civilities, contending for superiority, passed between us, and 

 he at length invited me to sleep at his house, an honour which I 

 declined, by saying that I had been so much accustomed to sleep 

 in the open air, that even by the side of a river, I feared neither 

 catarrhs nor agues, and that while in his neighbourhood, I could 

 have no other cause of alarm. Thus I gained his countenance, by 

 a box of excellent snuff that of his subordinates, by a portion of 

 small coin that of the people. 



As it became dark a number of beacons appeared along the 

 banks of the river, and I learned that the lights were signals from 

 military stations, which are placed there as a check upon the native 

 Indians, a measure indicating at once suspicion and precaution. Again 



