494 



>vhich their earoings are generally <ioasumed , AU 

 together there is more vice and coiiseqirent 

 wrelcliediiess amongst this class of people than 

 any uthen They are of course ileariy all Roman 

 Cathoiicg, although soin« of them are so far snnk 

 10 the depths of darkness m never to have heard 

 ibc name of CFiut Saviour iu whom their religiuo 

 teachetthem to beheve. Great exerlious have 

 been made of late years by the European por- 

 tion of the conimiinity IW the amelioration of 

 their condition, and five schools, supported by 

 private contributions, are the means of diffusing 

 religious aad general knowledge auiijpgst the 

 yonng. Oue of the missionaries superintends 

 their progrei^s and labors amongst them, whilst a 

 few of the ladies have formed themselves ioio a 

 visiting society to s%ek out proper objects ol cla^ 

 rity. 



There is also a Portuguese Roman Catholic 

 chapel and priest, but whether the people derive 

 any benefit from either is a matter of doubt. 



There is one peculiarity attached to the Porta* 

 guese sepulture of mfanis. When a young child 

 dies, instead of being enclosed in a como, it is 

 dressed up in its best suit of white clothes with a 

 cap on itii head adorned witii flowers, and a nose- 

 gay pni into eax:h hand. The body, with the 

 face uncovered, is placed on its back on a tray 

 strewed plentifully with posies, aud is thus carri- 

 ed forth for burial Although this method of dis* 

 posing of the uncoffiued dead is extremely repug- 

 nant to the Jinglish ideas of decency due to 

 mortal remains, yet the sight of the still and mar- 

 ble countenance contrasting with the gay and 



