NOTICES OP BRAZIL. 



27 



of tapes and laces ran from his counter and bowed obsequi- 

 ously. Immediately, there was an etalage of stuffs of various 

 kindsj and the marchand was eulogizing his goods and bar- 

 gain, bowing the whole time. The lady purchased or rejected 

 something — I saw no purse ; the curtain again hid the hand 

 and the jewels; — the slaves trotted on with their mistress. 

 Whiz, flew a rocket, and snap, crack, crack, exploded a bunch 

 of squibs from amidst a crowd of half naked negro boys, who 

 moved along with an unmeaning shout. Then came a fat sal- 

 low looking priest, under a broad brimmed hat, rolled up at 

 the sides, with a long silken cord terminated in a tassel hang- 

 ing down his back. He wore a long silk robe or gown, and a 

 pair of heavy shoes with large buckles. Close after him moved, 

 in short struts, a precocious Brazilian dandy, of Liliputian 

 stature, perhaps fourteen years old, and attired like a man of 

 twenty-five ; wearing a stick in one hand, and carrying a satchel 

 in the other; he stepped along, in imminent danger of disap- 

 pearing beneath his cocked hat that towered over his head like 

 an extinguisher, though worn for distinction. Then followed 

 a dozen slaves or water carriers, all naked. The next figure, 

 was that of a portly sedate looking gentleman whose moon 

 formed countenance stood forth to assert his claims to the cha- 

 racter of a bon vivant of imperturbable equanimity. He wore 

 a cocked hat with ostrich feather trimming, a broad tailed coat, 

 vest with capacious pockets, neat unmentionables, all of black, 

 buckled at the knee over a pair of red silk ribbed hose, and a 

 pair of square toed shoes with huge paste buckles. One of his 

 hands, with ruffle round the wrist, holding a glove, he carried 

 behind him, while the other — gloved — swung a gold mounted 

 stick from the Moluccas, which he struck on the pavement at 

 almost every step his gently stooped figure advanced. This 

 was a congressman — an M. P. 



''This gay scene indicates a business like disposition in the 

 people ; but the clank of those chains, clouds the pleasing re- 

 flections otherwise excited. The slaves cannot be treated here 

 with humanity ?" 



''My dear Sir," replied Brunner, "you are mistaken. 

 Slaves in this country are treated with the greatest humanity 



