SOUTH AMERICA. 



There is but little skill displayed here iii the me- 

 chanic arts. Although they have the finest wood 

 in the world for cabinet work, their furniture is very 

 badly constructed, and the defect is supplied by a pro- 

 fusion of gilding. They excel, however, in making 

 ornaments of gold, such as chains, crosses, &c.; but 

 precious stones are not well set by them; and in ge- 

 neral, they display but little taste. As to the fine 

 arts, they are extremely low. The king's library, of 

 sixty thousand volumes, has been thrown open for the 

 use of the public; but within this capital of a great em- 

 pire, it will be long before there will be any thing that 

 will deserve the name of literature. The rich native 

 inhabitants have generally other tastes; there is no- 

 thing to call forth public discussions from the press; 

 there is yet, in fact, no public. The art of printing, 

 itself, which was restricted in the colonial state, is not 

 yet sufficiently spread to satisfy the demand, small as 

 it is. There is more printing in any one of our smallest 

 cities, than in all Brazil. A botanical garden has 

 been established in the neighborhood of the city, and 

 is said to be respectable. There are but few of the 

 usual accompaniments of European monarchy. The 

 king has imported a company of opera performers from 

 Italy, at an expense that would build a frigate. Se- 

 veral of our officers attended the theatre, and spoke 

 highly of their performance. There is something truly 

 ridiculous in such importations to a country, which 

 stands so much in need of an increase of population. 

 A royal amusement, for which Lisbon is particularly 

 celebrated, the bull fights, has not been successfully 

 introduced here. Repeated attempts were lately made 

 in a circus erected near the country palace; but they 



VOL. I, 19 



