NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



445 



Returning from a short ramble, in the cool of the evening, I found 

 the family at vespers. The service here was extremely different from 

 the noisy clamour which was so disgustingly exhibited at the corners of 

 the streets in Rio ; it was calm, serious, and devout — an act of 

 homage to the Family's Protector and the Traveller's Guide, and as such 

 doubtless rose with acceptance to heaven. The doors of the Oratory 

 remained open, and the Crucifix exposed, until supper was just about 

 to be served in the same room. The master then approached the sacred 

 insignia, with great seriousness, made a profound bow to the image, and 

 closed the doors. There was something in the action so expressive of 

 modest veneration, that I could not but admire it at the moment, and 

 still think that his mind must be very ill formed who can behold a 

 fellow-creature worship his God in sincerity, be it what it may, and can 

 sneer at his conduct. I have no faith whatever in images, no attachment 

 to dogmas and to forms, yet I loved my Guide the better because he 

 evinced the sincerity of his faith, though differing from my own almost 

 as widely as possible. He was a sincere but not an obtrusive Religionist, 

 and more than once, in the stillness of night, was I awaked by the low 

 murmurs of the people whom, as he thought and yet thinks, he had 

 called unobserved to prayers. I believe him to be a less violent but more 

 conscientious Sebastianista than some others whom I intimately knew. 

 They form a sect among the Portuguese Catholics, who as devoutly 

 expect the return of the Royal St. Sebastian, as the Jews expect their 

 Messiah, or the Christians the re-appearance of their Lord. 



Desert as the country around us appeared, and mean as the fastidious 

 would have thought the habitation of my host, Joze Coreio Pinto 

 proved that there was no want of comfort there. At supper the table 

 was abundantly spread with solid provisions, and furnished with several 

 luxuries, which had acquired there superior value from the difficulty 

 of procuring and transporting them so far. Besides a good display of 

 silver plate and British earthenware, we had Rosea from the City, bottled 

 London Porter, and g;)od Port .Wine, served in cut glass decanters; 

 Through the whole journey my guide had behaved toward me in 



