NOTES ON BRAZIL. 41? 



The scene soon became a busy one ; loaded mules arrived at both 

 gateways. Those which were travelling towards the city were slightly 

 examined, counted, and permitted to pass ; while those which came 

 upwards were unloaded, every thing which they carried, except their 

 trappings, divided into classes, probably according to the number of 

 persons to whom the goods were ultimately consigned ; and then 

 weighed, in order to ascertain the amount of duty, for a tax of twelve 

 hundred and eighty Reis.is paid upon each arroba. At the weighing 

 of our cargo there were present the Superintendent, his Secretary, and 

 two other officers, all of whom went through the routine of their 

 respective departments in business with Brazilian formality. Supposing 

 myself to have no concern in such employment, I had wandered away, 

 but was quickly sought for, and asked rather sternly, by my guide, 

 whether it were true that I had omitted to present my passport. It 

 was evident that I had now offended against rule and propriety, but 

 his Lordship good naturedly observed, that I was a foreigner, and 

 could not be expected to understand their customs. The document 

 was again found to be incorrect, because it did not state that my black 

 servant was to return to Rio, and if he did not a heavy duty was 

 payable upon his entering into the Province of Minas Geraes. This, 

 however, was arranged, by my guide entering into a bond that, within 

 a limited time, the poor fellow should be presented there on his return. 



Business being dispatched, our cloth was laid for dinner, and we 

 had scarcely sat down to it, ere several slaves entered the shed, with 

 dishes dressed in the style of the country. They presented the food 

 with their master's compliments, and hoped that I should find it 

 agreeable to my taste. Besides a fowl, carne-secca, and pulse, there 

 were two dishes more peculiarly national, Angu and Cangica ; the 

 first consists of herbs cooked in the mode of Spinach, the latter of 

 Indian corn, blanched, and boiled with sugar. With feelings of grati- 

 tude to my unknown benefactor, for this second instance of kindness, 

 I could not avoid mingling sentiments of regret at the recollection 

 that he might have travelled from one end of my own country to the 



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