412 
EXCIJESIONS BEYOND EGA. Chap. YI. 
formerly were. My old favourite road, tlie Monguba 
avenue, had been renovated and joined to many other 
magnificent rides lined with trees, which in a very few 
years had grown to a height sufficient to afford agree- 
able shade ; one of these, the Estrada de Sao J ose, had 
been planted with coco-nut palms. Sixty public vehicles, 
light cabriolets (some of them built in Para), now plied 
in the streets, increasing much the animation of the 
beautified squares, streets, and avenues. 
I found also the habits of the people considerably 
changed. Many of the old religious holidays had de- 
clined in importance and given way to secular amuse- 
ments ; social parties, balls, music, billiards, and so 
forth. There was quite as much pleasure-seeking as 
formerly, but it was turned in a more rational direction, 
and the Paraenses seemed now to copy rather the 
customs of the northern nations of Europe, than those 
of the mother-country, Portugal. I was glad to see 
several new booksellers' shops, and also a fine edifice 
devoted to a reading-room supplied with periodicals, 
globes, and maps, and a circulating library. There were 
now many printing-offices, and four daily newspapers. 
The health of the place had greatly improved since 
1850, the year of the yellow fever, and Para was now 
considered no longer dangerous to new comers. 
So much for the improvements visible in the place, 
and now for the dark side of the picture. The expenses 
of living had increased about fourfold, a natural con- 
sequence of the demand for labour and for native 
products of all kinds having augmented in greater ratio 
than the supply, through large arrivals of non-productive 
