30 



THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



saw-like. Common misery has not caused the negroes to for- 

 get the feuds of their tribes, for they have brought mutual and 

 perhaps hereditary hatred with them, and it is supposed that 

 the safety of the whites, whose numbers are very small, de- 

 pends upon this circumstance. Though this may be partially 

 true, I suspect that apathy, which is a characteristic of the 

 African races, is the reason why they do not rise up en masse 

 and destroy their masters. 



Next we looked into an hotel kept by an Englishman ; it is 

 the best — the worst — the only one of the kind in the place ; it 

 is entirely supported by foreigners — natives rarely visit pub- 

 lic inns. After looking round for a moment, and noticing a 

 sign over the door, announcing that bains chauds^-^ might be 

 procured, w^e returned to the *^Rua d'Ourives,'^ which is en- 

 tirely occupied by silver-smiths, jewellers, and lapidaries, and 

 following its course for a quarter of a mile, turned to the right, 

 and in a few minutes entered the counting house of my friend. 



We found several gentlemen conversing about the change 

 that had then just taken place in the political state of Brazil. 

 When the usual salutation was over, the subject was resumed. 



What do you say were the circumstances,'' asked a gen- 

 tleman of the party, addressing himself to Brunner, "that led 

 to the abdication ?" 



" There were perhaps several," replied Brunner, "that may 

 be considered as conducing to that end. A jealousy has long ex- 

 isted between the native Brazilians and the Portuguese, which 

 was originally caused and kept up by Dom Pedro. The refu- 

 gees, who fled from the proscription and tyrannical wrath of 

 Dom Miguel, always found here, not only protection and an 

 asylum, but many have been received into places of power and 

 emolument under the government, to the exclusion of the Bra- 

 zilians, who were not slow to perceive and feel, that the em- 

 peror placed more confidence in them than in his own subjects. 

 He was constantly surrounded by them, and seemed to be much 

 influenced by their advice in almost every thing. Envious of 

 the distinction and honors heaped upon these foreigners, as the 

 inhabitants of Portugal were termed, the natives conceived 



