NOTICES OP BRAZIL. 



49 



to visit the Court, which held a levee in honor of the anniver- 

 sary of the independence of Brazil from the throne of Portu- 

 gal.* 



At half past twelve the American Legation reached the side 

 entrance of the palace, and alighting from the calegas, made 

 way through the gate to the stair. As we ascended, I learned 

 from one of our party, that wearing gloves or hats in the im- 

 perial presence was equally contrary to etiquette. I had been 

 instructed in the part which I was to enact in the pageant At 

 the head of the stairs, and entrance of the saloon, stood an hal- 

 berdier, dressed in a harlequin suit of green, checkered with 

 yellow stripes half an inch wide. In the first room, which was 

 handsomely furnished, were several gentlemen of the foreign 

 corps diplomatique, and among them a Nuncio from the Pope. 

 Of course all were in their court dresses. From this, we 

 passed into a larger room, fitted up in a much more elegant 

 manner. Both were hung with portraits, and paintings illus- 

 trative of Brazilian history, which seemed to be the topic of 

 conversation with several foreign ministers, who were wait- 

 ing for the opening of the Court. The subject of one of 

 these pictures, is a story which I presume every good Portu- 

 guese and Brazilian ought to believe. It runs, that some time 

 in the beginning of the twelfth century, the Moors and Portu- 

 guese were at war ; the forces of the two- nations were very 

 unequal ; the Moors counted three hundred thousand warriors, 

 while the Christian army scarcely numbered thirteen thousand 

 fighting men. Notwithstanding this great disparity of force, 

 Alphonso, the Portuguese general, resolved to give battle, 

 though to all the issue seemed not to be doubtful. He ha- 

 rangued his troops, and exhorted them to conquer or die, 

 rather than yield to the infidel. Having increased their confi- 

 dence by his eloquence, he announced the following day to be 

 fixed for the conflict, and that Heaven would manifest some 

 extraordinary sign as a harbinger of victory ! 



He retired to his tent, and read, in the Bible, the history of 

 Gideon, which he looked upon as similar to his own. While 



* September 6th. 



7 



