Chap. I. 
FESTIVALS. 
7 
a few days during the festivals. They have, however, 
spacious town-houses, some of them two stories high, 
with massive walls of stone or adobe. The principal citi- 
zen, Senhor Miguel Pinto de Guimaraens, is a native of 
the place, and is an example of the readiness with which 
talent and industry meet with their reward under the 
wise government of Brazil. He began life in a very 
humble way ; I was told he was once a fisherman, and 
retailed the produce of his hook and line or nets in the 
port. He is now the chief merchant of the district ; 
a large cattle and landed proprietor ; and owner of a 
sugar estate and mills. When the new National Guard 
was formed in Brazil in 1853, he received from the 
Emperor the commission of colonel. He is a pale, grave, 
and white-haired, though only middle-aged, man. I 
saw a good deal of him, and liked his sincerity and 
the uprightness of his dealings. When I arrived in 
Santarem he was the delegado of police. He is rather 
unmerciful both in and out of office towards the short- 
comings, in private and public morality, of his fellow- 
countrymen ; but he is very much respected. The 
nation cannot be a despicable one, whose best men are 
thus able to work themselves up to positions of trust 
and influence. 
The religious festivals were not so numerous here as 
in other towns, and such as did take place were very 
poor and ill attended. There is a handsome church, 
but the vicar showed remarkably little zeal for re- 
ligion, except for a few days now and then when 
the Bishop came from Para, on his rounds through 
the diocese. The people are as fond of holiday making 
