486 



BRAZIL. 



a peculiarity of Brazilian houses. The dwellings, however, of the poorer class are but sheds 

 of wattled bamboo, the poles of whicli are bound together with a toiigh, creeping plant called 

 " Brazilian nails." 



10. Food and Drinks. The Brazilians are a very temperate people in drinking, if not in 

 eating ; they use little spirits, and wine seldom but at feasts. There is, however, a ruinous kind 

 of rum called caxas, drank by all who use intoxicating spirits. It is very destructive to health, 

 though the blacks endure its effects better than the whites. From their tables the Brazilians 

 exclude mutton ; and when some English residents had it at their dinners, the native guests 

 tasted it from politeness, but evidently with great antipathy. In some places where wood is 

 scarce and mutton abundant, the latter is used as fuel and beef also, though this is said to be 

 from the high tax on salt. The beef is very clumsily dressed and cut up by die butchers ; it 

 is also cut into strips and dried, in which state it looks like strips of leather. Pork, hovi'ever, 

 is the great food of the people, and it is plentiful and good. It is prepared in a peculiar man- 

 ner ; the butchers dexterously take out the bones and muscular flesh, leaving only the covering 

 of fat, which is salted and folded up under the name of toucinho. The shops are full of it ; 

 and it is found in almost all articles of cookery. On the coast considerable fish is used, but it 

 is not of a very good rpiality. The oysters are dangerous to strangers. The mullet is good 

 and abounds, but during lent the dried cod is a general food. Though there is little wheat 

 raised, the people are fastidious in the quality of bread, and great quantities of flour are im- 

 ported from the United States. 'J'he bread at Rio is excellent, as no inferior flour is import- 

 ed! Slaves, however, never taste it ; the farinaceous food of the poor is the feijao preto, 

 black beans, and mandioc meal. The former is always prepared with toucinho fat. Indian 

 corn is often boiled whole, with sugar or treacle. Fruits are plentiful, and the quantity of pine- 

 apples is immense. It is surprising, that though there are thousands of herds of cattle, there 

 is httle milk used, and butter is in the country an unknown substance. Tea is seldom used in 

 the Ulterior, except as a medicine ; the matte of Paraguay, or the Congonha, though it has few 

 good qualities, is the imiversal substitute. Dr. Walsh relates, that when traveling he never 

 saw a table-knife out of Rio, though all ate with the fork. The negroes had knives in their 

 belts, but he supposes they were denied to the whiles, by law or police. 



1 1 . Diseases. Some of the diseases of Brazil are peculiar, as the following description of 

 a recent traveler will show. The diseases most prevalent and most severe are bihous remitting 

 fevers, dysentery, and liver complaints ; but Brazil is in general salubrious. Smallpox some- 

 times is very prevalent and dangerous. A disease called in the country bobas, is frequent ; it 

 resembles the yaws of the West Indies ; the body swells and breaks out into ulcers. It is 

 communicated by contact, but it is communicated also by small flies. The chigre is almost 

 universal. It is a small sack found generally under the toes, containing minute eggs, which, if 



nskilfully removed, cause an incurable sore. This is supposed to be caused by a small in- 

 itt. The prickly heat is very annoying to Europeans. At Rio there are many local swel- 

 ungs, like elephantiasis. The steps of the churches and convents are filled whh the helpless, 

 ,scarded slaves of this description. 



12. Traveling. One of the evils of traveling is the currency in this region of gold. Cop- 

 per is the only coin. The discount upon this is 40 per cent, and often more, and it is so 

 cumbrous that if a traveler would go far, he must load a sumpter mule with his supplies. There 

 is not, however, much robbery, though the country is sufficiently wild. There are no public 

 conveyances for travelers, and all journeys are made by horses or mules. There are, however, 

 many travelers on the roads of Brazil, and there are 4 kinds of resting-places for their accom- 

 modation. 1. A rancho, or large shed, open at the side, affording only shelter for mules, 

 though often used by travelers. 2. A venda^ or shop, where refreshments are sold ; and 

 attached to this is sometimes a qiiaiio, or lodging-room, and more rarely a bed. 3. An 

 estalagem, or inn ; but this is very rare. 4. A fazenda or farm-house, which is sometimes 

 an inn, though the master will sometimes entertain strangers from hospitality. 



13. Jllanners, Customs, &c. The Brazilians are frank and cordial, though not highly pol- 

 ished. They are neat in their dress and persons, good-humored, and litde disposed to be 

 punctilious. In manners they are affable and unaffected. They are exemplary in their domes- 

 tic relations, and are very kind to their children. The Brazilians are jealous of strangers, but 

 it is from a political rather than a personal sentiment. They are not inhospitable, though they 

 seldom invite strangers to their houses ; in fact, their domestic economy is not upon the best 

 foundation. 'J^lie richest seldom ha\'e stores in the house, but send to a venda for the least 



