A VOYAGE TO 



abroad in the streets; a kind of saturnalia, almost as 

 insulting to them, as their imprisonment. Marriages 

 of inclination, are rarely made; they are usually bar- 

 gains between the husband and the parents. There is 

 a species of cruelty practised by the rich in the cities, 

 that is really shocking to the mind of an American. 

 It is not uncommon for men to compel their daughters 

 to take the veil, merely with a view to preserve greater 

 wealth in the family, as without this unfeeling prac- 

 tice, they would be under the obligation of settling a 

 part of their estates as a marriage portion, or for their 

 support. In consequence of this state of manners, so- 

 ciety is on a wretched footing at Rio Janeiro. Social 

 intercourse is almost exclusively confined to foreigners. 

 The people of the country, especially the small plan- 

 ters, are represented to be remarkably kind and hos- 

 pitable. Several of our officers who made excursions 

 around the shores of the bay, spoke very highly of 

 the civility and frankness, with which they were treat- 

 ed by the peasantry, who live very much as in the 

 United States, scattered over the country. In 

 a little excursion with Mr. Rodney, who was ex- 

 tremely anxious to see the chiremoya, the most ex- 

 quisite fruit of South America, we landed near the 

 cottage of a peasant in search of it, and were treated 

 by him in the most friendly and hospitable manner. 

 We did not succeed, the fruit being either known un- 

 der a different name, or peculiar to Peru, where Ulloa 

 speaks of it. While on this excursion, we met seve- 

 ral German naturalists, who informed us that they 

 were preparing to set off in a canoe, or perogue, which 

 they showed us, to coast it along to Rio Grande. 



