60 



THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



CHAPTER VIL 



Architecture — Cries — Market — Churches — Cemetery of San Francisco de 

 Paula — Funerals — Climate — Prison — Slave market — Library — Newspapers. 



This city offers much to interest and much to disgust the 

 traveller. The construction of the houses is suited to the mild- 

 ness of the climate, which is never cold enough to require the 

 dwellings to be warmed artificially. The consequent absence 

 of chimneys rising above the roofs as in our northern cities, 

 impresses us at first with the belief that there is a feature want- 

 ing, and which is not at first discovered. The houses are gene- 

 rally two stories high, rough cast or whitewashed. The win- 

 dows of the second story extend from the floor, and open upon 

 iron verandas, in which it is common in the afternoon to see 

 gentlemen enjoying the cigar. The red tile roofs, with their 

 eaves projecting and terminating in points, make the houses 

 and the landscape around Rio resemble the sketches we see 

 upon crockery. In the interior of the houses, wooden ceiling 

 is generally substituted for plaster ; and it is usual for all the 

 apartments of the same floor to communicate above the parti- 

 tions, which do not extend entirely to the top or cornice of the 

 room. This allows a free circulation of air, which is so essen- 

 tial to comfort and health in tropical climates. The lower floor 

 is occupied as a coach house and stables, and visitors cannot 

 reach the family without passing the family coach, which is 

 kept in fine order. This custom takes i'ts origin from the fond- 

 ness of show which is innate with the Portuguese and Spa- 

 niards. The entrance door is properly a large gate, which is 

 constantly watched by a black slave in livery, who manages to 

 keep awake by sliding his thumbs over a marimba.'^ In the 

 lower windows, close trellis shutters, hung from above hori- 

 zontally, answer all the purpose of glass. 



The streets are narrow, always dirty, and intersect each 

 other nearly at right angles. In their centres, run small 



