NOTICES or BRAZIL. 



55 



an infusion from the shell of this precious berry. It is said to 

 be clear, not so bitter nor so strong as coffee. Betalfagui, a 

 city of Yemen, is its great mart in Arabia. It is exported from 

 Mecca.* 



Before dinner the time was passed in conversation and list- 

 ening to music ; several pieces, of which Dom Pedro I. is the 

 composer, and which speak well for his taste, were played. 

 He is passionately fond of music, and there are very few in- 

 struments which he does not play well. The opera company, 

 or rather the musicians, were not unfrequently brought to San 

 Christovao to accompany the emperor in his concerts, or to 

 play his compositions. Mrs. Brunner was fond of speaking of 

 the empress Leopoldina, with whom she was intimately ac- 

 quainted, and described her as a sociable and amiable woman ; 

 she attributes her death to Dom Pedro's brutality. The pre- 

 sent ex-empress was also highly spoken of, but not with the 

 same devotional feeling as the former. She is much beloved 

 by the emperor, and is said to exercise very great influence 

 over him ; yet he spoke to her once so harshly at table, on 

 board of H. B. M. Ship Warspite, that she retired in tears. He 

 is extremely timid at sea; on their passage to England on 

 board of H. B. M. Ship Volage, he asked her whether she was 

 not afraid; Why should I be," she replied, while I see 

 the captain is not?" 



Dom Pedro is said to possess a considerable share of good 

 nature, and the following anecdote seems to bear evidence of 



it. A midshipman H of the United States Navy, some 



four or five years since, followed a man who deserted from his 

 boat, into the palace, where the sailor had fled, in hopes of 



eluding pursuit. Mr. H rushed by the sentinel, and by 



mistake, got into the audience room. The noise occasioned by 

 his abrupt entry, led the emperor to inquire the cause ; and 

 when informed that it was a young naval officer, ordered him 

 to his presence. The midshipman told the emperor that he had 

 entered the palace in pursuit of a deserter, and would not leave 



• See Establecimientos Ultramarinos por Edwardo Malo de Luque. Tomo 

 segundo. Madrid. 1785. 



