August 19, 2025 • 30 mins
Embark on an enlightening journey through Brazil in this captivating first-hand account by an Englishman exploring the vibrant coastal regions of the Northeast just before Brazils independence from Portugal. Kosters travels, which also lead him to the northern port city of Maranh√£o, reveal the rich cultural practices and everyday life of the Brazilian people through a refreshingly objective lens. More than a mere travelogue, this work serves as a compelling ethnographic study that immerses readers in the essence of Brazilian society. (Summary by KevinS)
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Section seventeen of Trifles in Brazil vohum Ie by Henry Coster.
This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter eleven,
Part two. Much time had been lost, and the cane
ought to have been planted for the crop of the
following year. The negroes in my possession could not perform
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what ought to be done in proper time, and therefore
I collected free laborers for the purpose, and in a
short period between thirty and forty men, some of whom
brought their families, were moved on to the lands of
the plantation, and most of them erected hovels of palm
leaves in which they dwelt, but a few of them
were accommodated with huts of mud. They were Indians, Mulattos,
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free negroes and slaves, working together a motley crew. I
had now taken up my abode at the house which
was usually inhabited by the owner of a tenant. This
was a low but long mud cottage, covered with tiles
and whitewashed within and without. It had brick floors but
no ceiling. There were two apartments of tolerable dimensions, several
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small rooms in a kitchen. The chief entrance was from
a sort of square formed by the several buildings belonging
to the estate. In front was the chapel. To the
left was a large dwelling house unfinished, and the Negro huts,
a long row of small habitations, having much the appearance
of almshouses, without the neatness of places of this description
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in England. To the right was the mill worked by water,
and the warehouse or barn in which the sugar undergoes
the process of clang. And to the view of these
buildings may be added the pens for the cattle, the carts,
heaps of timber, and a small pond through which the
water runs to the mill. At the back of the
house was the large open field, the mill dam beyond,
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and cottages mandayac lands in trees along the valley border,
and on each side by steep hills covered with thick woods.
Oftentimes I have sat at night upon the threshold of
the door, after all my people had retired to their habitations.
They have supposed that I was asleep. Then I have
heard the whisperings in the Negro huts, and have observed
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some one leaving his house and steal away to visit
an acquaintance residing at some distance, or there has been
some clandestine feast or merrymaking. Thus, late at night, neighboring
negroes have been invited and have crept in during the evening, unperceived.
It is on these occasions that plans for deceiving the
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master are contrived. In these sweet, unpermitted meetings, the schemes
are formed. Then the slave owner, who is aware of
such secret practices and reflects, must feel of how little
avail are all his regulations, all his good management. Restraint
creates the wish to act contrary to given rules. The
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slave has a natural biased to deceive him who holds
him in subjugation. A man may love the master, whom
he may at pleasure leave, but to be tied down,
and as a duty enjoined to esteem, fails not in
most instances to rouse contrary feelings, to awaken a sense
of pleasure rather than of pain. In counteracting the wishes,
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and in rendering nucatory the determinations of him who commands.
At other times, far distant ideas from these have occupied
my mind. I thought of the strange life I was leading.
A remembrance of futile times in Europe has crossed me,
and I could not forbear comparing with them the present
state of the interior of Brazil. The great power of
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the planter not only over his slaves, but his authority
over the free persons of lower rank, the respect which
is required by these barons from the free inhabitants of
their lands. Footnote. On Saturdays only throughout the country are
cattle slaughtered, and thus weakly many persons of each neighborhood assemble,
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as much to converse and hear the news as to
purchase their portion of meat. On one of these occasions,
a young man of color was stooping to arrange upon
the end of his walking stick the meat which he
had bought, at the moment that a person of considerable
power was riding up. The man of importance, when he
came near to the young mulatto, struck him with a
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long cane with which he rode, saying, why don't you
take off your hat when a white man appears? The
blow was felt severely, and still more severely answered the
man of color drew his knife, and quickly turning round,
ran it hilt deep into the ground of him, by
whom he had been insulted, and then, with a bloody
knife in his hand, he ran off, vowing destruction upon
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any one who touched him. The rich man had only
time before he died to direct that the murderer should
not be pursued, owing that his own impetuous tyranny had
deservedly produced this case catastrophe. The young man returned in
a few weeks to his former home and was not
molested by the relatives of him whom he had murdered.
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Nor did the law take cognizance of the deed and
footnote the assistance which they expect from their tenants in
case of insult from a neighboring equal, the dependence of
the peasants in their wish to be under the peculiar
protection of a person of wealth who was capable of
relieving them from any oppression, and a speaking in their
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behalf to the governor or to the chief judge. All
these circumstances combined tend to render the similarity very great.
I even felt the power which had unintentionally fallen into
my hands. I had collected a considerable number of free workmen,
and the estate was respected for miles round. Many of
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these fellows would have committed almost any crime under the
impression that my protection would screen them, and if I
had not turned some away, wrened others that I would
aid the law rather than evaded should their proceedings be irregular.
I know not what evil deeds might not have followed footnote.
The following anecdote exemplifies the feudal state of the planters
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a few years since. Was related to me by a
gentleman upon whose veracity I have every reason to rely.
Some fifteen years ago, the Governor of Parnambuco sent for
a sergeant of the only regiment of the line which
existed at that time, whose courage was well known and
much dreaded. He received orders from the governor to proceed
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with all expedition possible to the sugar plantation of Manjope,
distant from Hasifi four leagues, for the purpose of taking
the owner of that place into custody, or if he
found that his apprehension alive was impracticable, he was then
to bring his head to the governor. The sergeant was
desired to pick out as many soldiers as he thought
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fit to accompany him, but he said that he should
go alone and Consequently, the following morning he set forth.
On his arrival at Manjope, he was received by the
owner of the plantation, who was a colonel of militia
or a capitam Moore. Being seated, he quietly made his
errand known, showing to the great man the order for
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his apprehension and mentioning the additional instructions a case of disobedience.
The colonel left the room, but soon returned with a
bag containing about the value of a hundred pounds in
gold coins, and presented this to the sergeant, who told
him to return and tell the Governor that he would
visit him as soon as possible and explain to him
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the circumstances which had given rise to this mission. The
sergeant took the money and set out on his return,
and by the way bought a sheep, killed it, and
then cutting off its head, put this into a bag.
On arriving at the palace, he placed his bloody burthen
upon the ground, and, pointing to it, said to the Governor,
I've execon at your commands. He would not come, and
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therefore I brought his head. The Governor, all amazement, answered,
and have you really killed the colonel of Manjope. The
sergeant replied, I've only acted according to the orders which
I received the following morning. What was the astonishment of
the Governor to hear that the Colonel of Manjope was
in waiting and wished to see him. He gave him
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an audience, matters were explained, and they parted good friends.
The sergeant was sent for after the departure of the Colonel,
and I'm being questioned, told the whole story and showed
the bag of money. The Governor was displeased, but at
the same time ashamed of the rash orders which he
had given. The sergeant was, however, too useful a man
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to be in disgrace end footnote. Whilst I was unwell
at Hassfi and Montero, the manager and his wife had
taken possession of the house, and here they remained for
some time after my return. Thus I lived literally among
the people. I had indeed my meals alone, but generally
two or three of the persons employed upon the plantation
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were in this room whilst I breakfasted or dined, and
they stood or sat talking to me. Any One reached
me a plate or aught else, for which I asked
if he happened to be near to what I have wanted.
The manager and his wife told me many strange tales.
He was a man of feudal stamp, honest and faithful
in every respect, from personal regard to the man whom
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he served, but not in general to the world, not
from a principle of right and wrong. This is very
frequently the case among these people. He was, however, of
the right sort for what I wanted, and if I
was again to travel there, I should seek him out.
I'd become somewhat intimate in several families of the neighborhood,
but was the most amused with my acquaintance in those
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of secondary rank, where there is less ceremony than among
persons of the first class. In the former, the females
often appear when the visitors a neighbor has concerns with
the master of the house and becomes intimate with him.
The festival of Saint Anto was to be celebrated about
the close of the year and the adjoining plantation belonging
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to the monks of whom he is the patron Saint.
The convent is at Olinda, and there the abbot resides.
The fraternity is rich possessing much landed property upon the
estate adjoining to Jagaribe, manngiac, maze, rice and other articles
of food are cultivated, with which the convent is supplied.
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The slaves upon it are in number about one hundred
of all ages, and the last African died whilst I
resided in that part of the country. The festival at
which I intended to be present was that of our
Lady of the Rosary, the patroness of Negroes. The expense
which was to be incurred was subscribed for by the
slaves of the estate, and the festival was entirely managed
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by them. Three friars attended to officiate at the altar,
but the lights, the fireworks and all other necessary articles
were provided for by a committee of the slaves. The
manager of the estate was a Mulatto slave who made
a visit upon my arrival at Jaguaribe, and on the
occasion of the festival, came to invite me to the
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novena and to the festa, the nine previous evenings and
the festival. Or rather he came to request that I
would not fail to go, as he feared that my
people in his might quarrel. I went with a large
party of men and women, we ascended the hill, and
on our arrival at its summit, I was invited by
one of the black women to enter her cottage, the
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same invitation being made to several other persons of our party.
The chapel is placed quite upon the highest point of
the hill, and the house in which the friars dwell
when they come to the estate, and the row of
Negro huts form a semi circle about it. Thus, in
part enclosing the chapel, these habitations looked down upon the
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broad river of Maria Farina, winding below among the mangroves,
and there are several creeks on the opposite side, which
looked like so many branches. The crowd which had assembled
was considerable, and was not a little increased by my
free workmen, some of whom were unmarried, men, unencumbered, and
ready for any mischief. I was armed with a long
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pike and a large knife of the country, and had
brought three of my slaves accoutred much in the same manner,
three resolute Africans upon whom I could pen in whose
business it was closely to watch their master. Before the
commencement of the prayers and singing in the chapel. The
black people extended several mats upon the ground in the
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open air, and our party sat down upon them to
converse and to eat cakes and sweet mates, of which
many kinds were exposed for sale in great abundance. All
went on quietly for three nights, for the mulatto manager
forbade the sale of rum. But on the fourth night
some liquor unfortunately found its way up the hill in Nicolau.
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The manager came in haste to inform me that a
few of my Indians were earnestly bent on quarreling with
a party of his people. I arose from the mat
upon which I had been seated, and, followed by my bodyguard,
accompanied him back to the spot, where I soon saw
that a fight had commenced. Persuasion was of no avail,
and therefore my negroes made use of the butt end
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of their pikes and brought an Indian to the ground,
who was delivered over to Samoon one of my fellows,
and I desired the two slaves who remained to assist
the saint Bento negroes. I thus proved that I would
not uphold my own people if they acted irregularly, And
the matter fortunately ended with only some trifling bruises and
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one broken head. The Indian was conveyed home by Simaund,
who returned to tell me that he had placed the
man in the stocks with the intent of soberingam. No
more quarrels were entered into for this affair quite sickened
all those who might have been so inclined. In the morning,
the Indian was set at liberty, and he quietly went
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off to his work, not being much the worse. I
great pleasure in witnessing the most excellent arrangements of this plantation.
The negroes are as happy as persons in a state
of slavery can be. But although the tasks are comparatively
speaking easy, and corporal punishments are only resorted to for children.
Still the great object at which they aim is to
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be free, and to purchase the freedom of their children.
Footnote Slaves are permitted to purchase their own freedom or
tendering to the Master the sum of money which he
originally gave for them. But I shall presently speak more
at large of this law and of slavery as it
exists in Brazil and footnote one man who was a
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fisherman by trade, had obtained the manumission of his wife,
though he was still a slave himself, with the intent
that if he should still have any more children, they
might be free. And he purposed afterwards purchasing his own
freedom and that of the young ones. Several instances of
the same behavior frequently occurs upon the estates belonging to
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these and other friars. Thus, everyone wishes to be a
free agent, and it is this feeling alone which makes
a saint bento negro do all in his power to
be able to act for himself. For very probably he
may be obliged to labor with more diligence to obtain
his living as a free man than as a slave.
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The emancipated negro oftentimes becomes an excellent member of society,
for he contracts habits of industry in which he continues.
But again, if he has been hardly treated by a
rigorous master, he becomes disgusted with an indifferent to life,
is rendered callous to shame, and drags on in an idle,
miserable existence. Another festival was to take place place at
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one of the chapels upon the coast, which is dedicated
to our Lady of the conception. This was distant one
league and a half from Jagaribe. However, we formed a
party and mounted our horses one moonlight evening, the females
riding behind their husbands in relations with a sheet or
counterpane thrown over the horses haunches upon which they sat.
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We came out upon the seashore at the church of
our Lady of the o of which I shall presently speak,
not far from the fort of pau Amarello, and from thence,
proceeding along the sands to the place of our destination,
I was introduced to the family of an old Portuguese
who resided there. His son had just taken orders as
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a secular priest and was to say his first Mass
on the day of the festival. There were puppet shows,
tumblers and all their attendants in great abundance, fireworks and bonfires, noise, bustle,
and no lack of quarreling. Within the chapel there was
a display of wax tapers, praying, singing and music. As
is usual. The assemblage of persons was very considerable. Indeed,
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wherever the surf is not violent, the seashore is well
peopled along the whole extent or coast between Olinda and
the bar of the River Guayana. In many parts, the
low straw huts are united, or nearly so, in long
rows together. Whitewashed cottages with tiled roofs are frequently interspersed.
Churches and chapels have been built, and few intervals of
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much extent remain unpeopled. The lands are planted with the
coco trees, which is the most profitable plant of Brazil.
The coco tree appears to be adapted to the sandy
soil of the coast, upon which only very few others
will vegetate. Here it flourishes and seems to derive nourishment
from its vicinity to the sea. But when it is
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situated in rich land, the coco tree droops, and even
upon the sandy plains of the interior, it does not
bear its fruit with the same luxury or reached that
height which it attains when exposed to the sea breeze.
These cocoa groves, through which the eye can reach for miles,
with the hovels composed entirely of the leaves of these
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trees spread among them, form in some parts very picturesque views,
and if, as frequently occurs, the cottage is situated upon
the border of a wood, just where the coco is
en and the dark green foliage of the forest trees
is seen behind, then the view is even romantic. And
if the wind is high, the rustling of the cocoa
trees and the dashing of the waves increases much the
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wildness of the scene. However, to return as soon as
the church's service was ended, we mounted our horses and
rode back to our lady of the o. We alighted
at a cottage which stood near to the church, the
inhabitants of which were acquainted with some of our party.
The moon was bright and the breeze moderate. We sat
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down upon mats before the door, and were regaled with
quantities of young cooke co nuts, a most delightful fruit
when they are in this state. Some of us walked
down toward the beach. The tide was out, and I
observed several large blocks of hewn stone partly buried in
the sand below high water mark. I inquired what had
caused them to be there, and was answered that a
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church had formerly stood upon that spot. And I heard
then and afterwards often saw that the sea was making
considerable encroachments along the coast, to the distance of half
a league or more each way. The new Church of
our Lady of the o was now building, a distance
of about three hundred yards from the shore. Strange tales
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are told of the miraculous deeds of this lady. When
the church was about to be rebuilt, many of the
land holders of the neighborhood were desirous of having the
edifice upon their ground. This proceeded from a religious feeling.
Lots were drawn to determine upon the side of the
new church, and although manifestly inconvenient from many causes, it
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has been erected upon the spot where it now stands,
because the same lot was drawn three times. A very
great objection, and one which in common cases would have
been insurmountable, is that this is the lowest piece of
land in the neighborhood, and is opposite to the place
upon which the sea is making the most rapid advances.
Water two for mixing the lime and sand must have
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been conveyed from a considerable distance, but a spring of
it gushed forth at the moment that one of the
laborers was making preparations for the commencement of his work,
and since the Capella more or principal Chapel, has been built,
all kinds of diseases are said to be cured. The
fame of this most powerful lady has reached far and wide,
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and from the interior to the distance of one hundred
and fifty leagues. Persons who were afflicted with disorders which
have been considered incurable by human means, have come down
to make their offerings to this avaricious personage, whose powerful
interest session is not to be obtained unless she is
in return well paid for her trouble. Footnote in old Portuguese,
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whose faith in the intercession of saints could not be
very strong, being asked for alms to assist in the
decoration of an image, refused to give anything and at it.
The saints are in a much better situation than I am.
They don't want any assistance from me and footnote. As
the road from the Certan to the sea shore was
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by Jaggaribe, I saw many of the travelers. I conversed
with many wealthy persons whose sole errand was to offer
part of their possessions upon condition of relief from the
malady under which they suffered. The patrimony of this church
is now considerable from the numerous donations which have been made.
Some of these have been advanced on credit, the donors
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being fully confident of repayment in the manner which they desire.
Others have been made in consequence of the persons who
gave them having been really cured. Faith has done what
medicine could not. Such has been the reliance upon the
efficacy of the prayers which were offered up and upon
the power of the Lady, that the probability of disappointment
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has never occurred to them. And when the disorder proceeds
more from the imagination than from the body, I should
suppose that a cure may be effected much in the
same manner that in other countries cures are said to
be performed by medicinal waters, of which, although the qualities
may be very excellent, yet the name may surpass the
reality in bringing about the desired end. The miracles of
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our Lady of the ol are performed in three ways,
by prayer from the patient, by drinking the water of
the spring or by application of some of it to
the part affected, and by eating or outwardly applying a
small quantity of the salt which oozes from the wall
against which the high altar stands. Footnote I insert the
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following passage from number thirty second of Doctor Thompson's Annals
of Philosophy, page one thirty eight. It is given for
the purpose of acquainting the supporters of our lady of
the o that the salt ouses from walls in an
heretical as well as in a Catholic country. The formation
of niter upon calcareous stones in certain situations has been
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long known. An advantage has been taken of it to
procure that important salt in great quantities, though no satisfactory
theory of the formation of the salt itself has yet
been offered to the public. The present paper contains a
set of observations on the appearance of an efflorescence of
saltpeter on the walls of the Ashmo Laboratory at Oxford,
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a large ground room some below the area of the street.
The walls are built of Oxford limestone, a granular floats
limestone containing many fragments of shells of vegetable bodies, and
composed of ninety six carbonate of lime and four of
okree sand. The salt form was nearly pure, though it
contained traces of lime and of sulfuric and muriatic acids.
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What was formed in winter contained most lime. The formation
of the salt was most rapid and frosty weather. It
forms slowly, and the quantity even diminished in moist weather
after it had been deposited. Exclusion from the air did
not preclude the deposition of the salt, though it diminished
it considerably. Page seventy. The paper which the above is
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an analysis, is by John Kidd, m d. Professor of
chemistry in Oxford, and footnote A village has risen around
the church, composed of huts for the sick who have
journeyed far from other districts. The business has completely succeeded.
The money which was required for rebuilding the church has
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been obtained. And when I came away, the concern was
going on prosperously. I heard the remark made by some
firm believers that such was the sinfulness of the anaer
evidence of the vicinity, that the lady had scarcely vouchsafed
to perform any cures upon them. The wonderful stories of
cures were always of persons who lived in remote districts.
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But I did meet with a few cases in which
fancied illness from lowness of spirits was removed. The general
credulity of the lower orders of people, and even of
many individuals of the higher ranks, is beyond all belief.
No persuasion, no reasoning is of any service. Even a
doubt of the truth of every story which told is
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not admitted. Footnote. Some time ago, a wooden figure was
brought up out of the sea in a fisherman's net,
who was deposited in a place of safety, and was
on inspection by some person who was judged competent to
decide upon the subject, declared to be an image of
Saint Luke. It was removed to a church and has
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taken its place as a representative of that saint. Now
I have it whispered that this said Saint Luke is
no more than the figurehead of some unfortunate vessel which
had been cast away, or that the figure had been
broken off by a violent wave. And footnote. From hence
we proceeded to pay another visit. The owner of this
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cottage had no cocos to offer, but he would have
dressed some fish, and he gave us some wild fruits.
The sale of a jangata was extended for us, and
we laid down for some time to converse. At a
late hour we set off homewards and from carelessness lost
our way. We wandered through the paths of the woods
of Matunguappe until we judged rightly, as it happened that
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we were in the road which would lead us to Jaguaribe.
There was much merriment notwithstanding the disaster, for we knew
that daylight would end our difficulties. And it was now
past two o'clock. The mill was continually at work. I
usually took the first watch and superintendent the business until midnight.
Several of my neighbors and their families came to amuse
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themselves conversation, and others came for the purpose of eating
sugar cane, of which every one who has tasted must
be fond about this time died in child bed a
female slave who was generally regretted. She was a good
servant and an excellent wife and mother. The grief of
her husband bore much the appearance of insanity. He would
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not eat until the following day, and then he only
tasted food from the persuasion of one of his children.
Until the time of my departure from Pernambuco, he had
not recovered his former spirits, and he never spoke of
his wife without tears in his eyes. Even some of
the other slaves were for a few days after her
death unsettled. The rude instruments upon which they were in
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the habit of playing in the evening at their doors
were laid aside. All merriment was discontinued for some time.
I was requested about this period to be bridesmen at
the marriage of a Malapto couple. I agreed, and on
the day appointed set fourth for Padaccibi, accompanied by a
free servant and a slave on horseback. I arrived about
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ten o'clock and found a large party of people of
color assembled. The priest soon arrived, and he too was
of the same caste. Breakfast of meat and piram a
paste made of farina was placed upon the table. Some
part of the company sat down and ate, others stood
doing the same, and others, again, as if they were
afraid of losing a minute's conversation, continued to talk loudly
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and without ceasing. I've witnessed few such scenes of confusion.
At last we proceeded to the church, to which I
was begged to be permitted to ride, for the distance
was considerable and I was somewhat lame from an accident.
As soon as the ceremony was over, we returned to
the house. The bride was of a dark brown color
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or Her father was a Negro and her mother of
mixed blood. She was dressed in a rose colored silk
gown and a black veil was thrown over a head
and shoulders. She wore white shoes and white stockings with
open clocks. The bridegroom was also of dark color. He
wore a coat of brown cloth, a waistcoat of brocade
at silk, and nankeen pantaloons. He had on shoes with
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large buckles and a cocked hat. Both of these persons
were young, and they seemed to be dreadfully hampered by
the increased stock of a pail which they carried. The
scene at dinner was a counterpart of the breakfast affair,
with the addition of more noise and more confusion, which
was caused by a larger assemblage of people and more
plentiful drafts of wine and rum. I escaped as soon
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as possible, but would not, on any account have missed
being present at this day's work. On the night of
Christmas Eve, I did not go to bed, for we
were to hear the mysa do gayo or cock pass,
as is customary. The priest arrived and the night was
spent merrily. This person did not at that time come
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regularly as a che chaplin, but he was so engaged afterwards.
End of Section seventeen
Section seventeen of Trifles in Brazil vohum Ie by Henry Coster.
This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter eleven,
Part two. Much time had been lost, and the cane
ought to have been planted for the crop of the
following year. The negroes in my possession could not perform
(00:23):
what ought to be done in proper time, and therefore
I collected free laborers for the purpose, and in a
short period between thirty and forty men, some of whom
brought their families, were moved on to the lands of
the plantation, and most of them erected hovels of palm
leaves in which they dwelt, but a few of them
were accommodated with huts of mud. They were Indians, Mulattos,
(00:47):
free negroes and slaves, working together a motley crew. I
had now taken up my abode at the house which
was usually inhabited by the owner of a tenant. This
was a low but long mud cottage, covered with tiles
and whitewashed within and without. It had brick floors but
no ceiling. There were two apartments of tolerable dimensions, several
(01:09):
small rooms in a kitchen. The chief entrance was from
a sort of square formed by the several buildings belonging
to the estate. In front was the chapel. To the
left was a large dwelling house unfinished, and the Negro huts,
a long row of small habitations, having much the appearance
of almshouses, without the neatness of places of this description
(01:32):
in England. To the right was the mill worked by water,
and the warehouse or barn in which the sugar undergoes
the process of clang. And to the view of these
buildings may be added the pens for the cattle, the carts,
heaps of timber, and a small pond through which the
water runs to the mill. At the back of the
house was the large open field, the mill dam beyond,
(01:55):
and cottages mandayac lands in trees along the valley border,
and on each side by steep hills covered with thick woods.
Oftentimes I have sat at night upon the threshold of
the door, after all my people had retired to their habitations.
They have supposed that I was asleep. Then I have
heard the whisperings in the Negro huts, and have observed
(02:18):
some one leaving his house and steal away to visit
an acquaintance residing at some distance, or there has been
some clandestine feast or merrymaking. Thus, late at night, neighboring
negroes have been invited and have crept in during the evening, unperceived.
It is on these occasions that plans for deceiving the
(02:38):
master are contrived. In these sweet, unpermitted meetings, the schemes
are formed. Then the slave owner, who is aware of
such secret practices and reflects, must feel of how little
avail are all his regulations, all his good management. Restraint
creates the wish to act contrary to given rules. The
(02:58):
slave has a natural biased to deceive him who holds
him in subjugation. A man may love the master, whom
he may at pleasure leave, but to be tied down,
and as a duty enjoined to esteem, fails not in
most instances to rouse contrary feelings, to awaken a sense
of pleasure rather than of pain. In counteracting the wishes,
(03:21):
and in rendering nucatory the determinations of him who commands.
At other times, far distant ideas from these have occupied
my mind. I thought of the strange life I was leading.
A remembrance of futile times in Europe has crossed me,
and I could not forbear comparing with them the present
state of the interior of Brazil. The great power of
(03:43):
the planter not only over his slaves, but his authority
over the free persons of lower rank, the respect which
is required by these barons from the free inhabitants of
their lands. Footnote. On Saturdays only throughout the country are
cattle slaughtered, and thus weakly many persons of each neighborhood assemble,
(04:05):
as much to converse and hear the news as to
purchase their portion of meat. On one of these occasions,
a young man of color was stooping to arrange upon
the end of his walking stick the meat which he
had bought, at the moment that a person of considerable
power was riding up. The man of importance, when he
came near to the young mulatto, struck him with a
(04:25):
long cane with which he rode, saying, why don't you
take off your hat when a white man appears? The
blow was felt severely, and still more severely answered the
man of color drew his knife, and quickly turning round,
ran it hilt deep into the ground of him, by
whom he had been insulted, and then, with a bloody
knife in his hand, he ran off, vowing destruction upon
(04:48):
any one who touched him. The rich man had only
time before he died to direct that the murderer should
not be pursued, owing that his own impetuous tyranny had
deservedly produced this case catastrophe. The young man returned in
a few weeks to his former home and was not
molested by the relatives of him whom he had murdered.
(05:09):
Nor did the law take cognizance of the deed and
footnote the assistance which they expect from their tenants in
case of insult from a neighboring equal, the dependence of
the peasants in their wish to be under the peculiar
protection of a person of wealth who was capable of
relieving them from any oppression, and a speaking in their
(05:31):
behalf to the governor or to the chief judge. All
these circumstances combined tend to render the similarity very great.
I even felt the power which had unintentionally fallen into
my hands. I had collected a considerable number of free workmen,
and the estate was respected for miles round. Many of
(05:51):
these fellows would have committed almost any crime under the
impression that my protection would screen them, and if I
had not turned some away, wrened others that I would
aid the law rather than evaded should their proceedings be irregular.
I know not what evil deeds might not have followed footnote.
The following anecdote exemplifies the feudal state of the planters
(06:14):
a few years since. Was related to me by a
gentleman upon whose veracity I have every reason to rely.
Some fifteen years ago, the Governor of Parnambuco sent for
a sergeant of the only regiment of the line which
existed at that time, whose courage was well known and
much dreaded. He received orders from the governor to proceed
(06:35):
with all expedition possible to the sugar plantation of Manjope,
distant from Hasifi four leagues, for the purpose of taking
the owner of that place into custody, or if he
found that his apprehension alive was impracticable, he was then
to bring his head to the governor. The sergeant was
desired to pick out as many soldiers as he thought
(06:57):
fit to accompany him, but he said that he should
go alone and Consequently, the following morning he set forth.
On his arrival at Manjope, he was received by the
owner of the plantation, who was a colonel of militia
or a capitam Moore. Being seated, he quietly made his
errand known, showing to the great man the order for
(07:18):
his apprehension and mentioning the additional instructions a case of disobedience.
The colonel left the room, but soon returned with a
bag containing about the value of a hundred pounds in
gold coins, and presented this to the sergeant, who told
him to return and tell the Governor that he would
visit him as soon as possible and explain to him
(07:39):
the circumstances which had given rise to this mission. The
sergeant took the money and set out on his return,
and by the way bought a sheep, killed it, and
then cutting off its head, put this into a bag.
On arriving at the palace, he placed his bloody burthen
upon the ground, and, pointing to it, said to the Governor,
I've execon at your commands. He would not come, and
(08:02):
therefore I brought his head. The Governor, all amazement, answered,
and have you really killed the colonel of Manjope. The
sergeant replied, I've only acted according to the orders which
I received the following morning. What was the astonishment of
the Governor to hear that the Colonel of Manjope was
in waiting and wished to see him. He gave him
(08:25):
an audience, matters were explained, and they parted good friends.
The sergeant was sent for after the departure of the Colonel,
and I'm being questioned, told the whole story and showed
the bag of money. The Governor was displeased, but at
the same time ashamed of the rash orders which he
had given. The sergeant was, however, too useful a man
(08:45):
to be in disgrace end footnote. Whilst I was unwell
at Hassfi and Montero, the manager and his wife had
taken possession of the house, and here they remained for
some time after my return. Thus I lived literally among
the people. I had indeed my meals alone, but generally
two or three of the persons employed upon the plantation
(09:07):
were in this room whilst I breakfasted or dined, and
they stood or sat talking to me. Any One reached
me a plate or aught else, for which I asked
if he happened to be near to what I have wanted.
The manager and his wife told me many strange tales.
He was a man of feudal stamp, honest and faithful
in every respect, from personal regard to the man whom
(09:31):
he served, but not in general to the world, not
from a principle of right and wrong. This is very
frequently the case among these people. He was, however, of
the right sort for what I wanted, and if I
was again to travel there, I should seek him out.
I'd become somewhat intimate in several families of the neighborhood,
but was the most amused with my acquaintance in those
(09:53):
of secondary rank, where there is less ceremony than among
persons of the first class. In the former, the females
often appear when the visitors a neighbor has concerns with
the master of the house and becomes intimate with him.
The festival of Saint Anto was to be celebrated about
the close of the year and the adjoining plantation belonging
(10:15):
to the monks of whom he is the patron Saint.
The convent is at Olinda, and there the abbot resides.
The fraternity is rich possessing much landed property upon the
estate adjoining to Jagaribe, manngiac, maze, rice and other articles
of food are cultivated, with which the convent is supplied.
(10:37):
The slaves upon it are in number about one hundred
of all ages, and the last African died whilst I
resided in that part of the country. The festival at
which I intended to be present was that of our
Lady of the Rosary, the patroness of Negroes. The expense
which was to be incurred was subscribed for by the
slaves of the estate, and the festival was entirely managed
(11:00):
by them. Three friars attended to officiate at the altar,
but the lights, the fireworks and all other necessary articles
were provided for by a committee of the slaves. The
manager of the estate was a Mulatto slave who made
a visit upon my arrival at Jaguaribe, and on the
occasion of the festival, came to invite me to the
(11:22):
novena and to the festa, the nine previous evenings and
the festival. Or rather he came to request that I
would not fail to go, as he feared that my
people in his might quarrel. I went with a large
party of men and women, we ascended the hill, and
on our arrival at its summit, I was invited by
one of the black women to enter her cottage, the
(11:44):
same invitation being made to several other persons of our party.
The chapel is placed quite upon the highest point of
the hill, and the house in which the friars dwell
when they come to the estate, and the row of
Negro huts form a semi circle about it. Thus, in
part enclosing the chapel, these habitations looked down upon the
(12:04):
broad river of Maria Farina, winding below among the mangroves,
and there are several creeks on the opposite side, which
looked like so many branches. The crowd which had assembled
was considerable, and was not a little increased by my
free workmen, some of whom were unmarried, men, unencumbered, and
ready for any mischief. I was armed with a long
(12:27):
pike and a large knife of the country, and had
brought three of my slaves accoutred much in the same manner,
three resolute Africans upon whom I could pen in whose
business it was closely to watch their master. Before the
commencement of the prayers and singing in the chapel. The
black people extended several mats upon the ground in the
(12:48):
open air, and our party sat down upon them to
converse and to eat cakes and sweet mates, of which
many kinds were exposed for sale in great abundance. All
went on quietly for three nights, for the mulatto manager
forbade the sale of rum. But on the fourth night
some liquor unfortunately found its way up the hill in Nicolau.
(13:08):
The manager came in haste to inform me that a
few of my Indians were earnestly bent on quarreling with
a party of his people. I arose from the mat
upon which I had been seated, and, followed by my bodyguard,
accompanied him back to the spot, where I soon saw
that a fight had commenced. Persuasion was of no avail,
and therefore my negroes made use of the butt end
(13:30):
of their pikes and brought an Indian to the ground,
who was delivered over to Samoon one of my fellows,
and I desired the two slaves who remained to assist
the saint Bento negroes. I thus proved that I would
not uphold my own people if they acted irregularly, And
the matter fortunately ended with only some trifling bruises and
(13:50):
one broken head. The Indian was conveyed home by Simaund,
who returned to tell me that he had placed the
man in the stocks with the intent of soberingam. No
more quarrels were entered into for this affair quite sickened
all those who might have been so inclined. In the morning,
the Indian was set at liberty, and he quietly went
(14:11):
off to his work, not being much the worse. I
great pleasure in witnessing the most excellent arrangements of this plantation.
The negroes are as happy as persons in a state
of slavery can be. But although the tasks are comparatively
speaking easy, and corporal punishments are only resorted to for children.
Still the great object at which they aim is to
(14:33):
be free, and to purchase the freedom of their children.
Footnote Slaves are permitted to purchase their own freedom or
tendering to the Master the sum of money which he
originally gave for them. But I shall presently speak more
at large of this law and of slavery as it
exists in Brazil and footnote one man who was a
(14:55):
fisherman by trade, had obtained the manumission of his wife,
though he was still a slave himself, with the intent
that if he should still have any more children, they
might be free. And he purposed afterwards purchasing his own
freedom and that of the young ones. Several instances of
the same behavior frequently occurs upon the estates belonging to
(15:16):
these and other friars. Thus, everyone wishes to be a
free agent, and it is this feeling alone which makes
a saint bento negro do all in his power to
be able to act for himself. For very probably he
may be obliged to labor with more diligence to obtain
his living as a free man than as a slave.
(15:36):
The emancipated negro oftentimes becomes an excellent member of society,
for he contracts habits of industry in which he continues.
But again, if he has been hardly treated by a
rigorous master, he becomes disgusted with an indifferent to life,
is rendered callous to shame, and drags on in an idle,
miserable existence. Another festival was to take place place at
(16:00):
one of the chapels upon the coast, which is dedicated
to our Lady of the conception. This was distant one
league and a half from Jagaribe. However, we formed a
party and mounted our horses one moonlight evening, the females
riding behind their husbands in relations with a sheet or
counterpane thrown over the horses haunches upon which they sat.
(16:22):
We came out upon the seashore at the church of
our Lady of the o of which I shall presently speak,
not far from the fort of pau Amarello, and from thence,
proceeding along the sands to the place of our destination,
I was introduced to the family of an old Portuguese
who resided there. His son had just taken orders as
(16:42):
a secular priest and was to say his first Mass
on the day of the festival. There were puppet shows,
tumblers and all their attendants in great abundance, fireworks and bonfires, noise, bustle,
and no lack of quarreling. Within the chapel there was
a display of wax tapers, praying, singing and music. As
is usual. The assemblage of persons was very considerable. Indeed,
(17:07):
wherever the surf is not violent, the seashore is well
peopled along the whole extent or coast between Olinda and
the bar of the River Guayana. In many parts, the
low straw huts are united, or nearly so, in long
rows together. Whitewashed cottages with tiled roofs are frequently interspersed.
Churches and chapels have been built, and few intervals of
(17:28):
much extent remain unpeopled. The lands are planted with the
coco trees, which is the most profitable plant of Brazil.
The coco tree appears to be adapted to the sandy
soil of the coast, upon which only very few others
will vegetate. Here it flourishes and seems to derive nourishment
from its vicinity to the sea. But when it is
(17:50):
situated in rich land, the coco tree droops, and even
upon the sandy plains of the interior, it does not
bear its fruit with the same luxury or reached that
height which it attains when exposed to the sea breeze.
These cocoa groves, through which the eye can reach for miles,
with the hovels composed entirely of the leaves of these
(18:12):
trees spread among them, form in some parts very picturesque views,
and if, as frequently occurs, the cottage is situated upon
the border of a wood, just where the coco is
en and the dark green foliage of the forest trees
is seen behind, then the view is even romantic. And
if the wind is high, the rustling of the cocoa
trees and the dashing of the waves increases much the
(18:34):
wildness of the scene. However, to return as soon as
the church's service was ended, we mounted our horses and
rode back to our lady of the o. We alighted
at a cottage which stood near to the church, the
inhabitants of which were acquainted with some of our party.
The moon was bright and the breeze moderate. We sat
(18:55):
down upon mats before the door, and were regaled with
quantities of young cooke co nuts, a most delightful fruit
when they are in this state. Some of us walked
down toward the beach. The tide was out, and I
observed several large blocks of hewn stone partly buried in
the sand below high water mark. I inquired what had
caused them to be there, and was answered that a
(19:18):
church had formerly stood upon that spot. And I heard
then and afterwards often saw that the sea was making
considerable encroachments along the coast, to the distance of half
a league or more each way. The new Church of
our Lady of the o was now building, a distance
of about three hundred yards from the shore. Strange tales
(19:38):
are told of the miraculous deeds of this lady. When
the church was about to be rebuilt, many of the
land holders of the neighborhood were desirous of having the
edifice upon their ground. This proceeded from a religious feeling.
Lots were drawn to determine upon the side of the
new church, and although manifestly inconvenient from many causes, it
(20:00):
has been erected upon the spot where it now stands,
because the same lot was drawn three times. A very
great objection, and one which in common cases would have
been insurmountable, is that this is the lowest piece of
land in the neighborhood, and is opposite to the place
upon which the sea is making the most rapid advances.
Water two for mixing the lime and sand must have
(20:22):
been conveyed from a considerable distance, but a spring of
it gushed forth at the moment that one of the
laborers was making preparations for the commencement of his work,
and since the Capella more or principal Chapel, has been built,
all kinds of diseases are said to be cured. The
fame of this most powerful lady has reached far and wide,
(20:44):
and from the interior to the distance of one hundred
and fifty leagues. Persons who were afflicted with disorders which
have been considered incurable by human means, have come down
to make their offerings to this avaricious personage, whose powerful
interest session is not to be obtained unless she is
in return well paid for her trouble. Footnote in old Portuguese,
(21:08):
whose faith in the intercession of saints could not be
very strong, being asked for alms to assist in the
decoration of an image, refused to give anything and at it.
The saints are in a much better situation than I am.
They don't want any assistance from me and footnote. As
the road from the Certan to the sea shore was
(21:29):
by Jaggaribe, I saw many of the travelers. I conversed
with many wealthy persons whose sole errand was to offer
part of their possessions upon condition of relief from the
malady under which they suffered. The patrimony of this church
is now considerable from the numerous donations which have been made.
Some of these have been advanced on credit, the donors
(21:51):
being fully confident of repayment in the manner which they desire.
Others have been made in consequence of the persons who
gave them having been really cured. Faith has done what
medicine could not. Such has been the reliance upon the
efficacy of the prayers which were offered up and upon
the power of the Lady, that the probability of disappointment
(22:11):
has never occurred to them. And when the disorder proceeds
more from the imagination than from the body, I should
suppose that a cure may be effected much in the
same manner that in other countries cures are said to
be performed by medicinal waters, of which, although the qualities
may be very excellent, yet the name may surpass the
reality in bringing about the desired end. The miracles of
(22:36):
our Lady of the ol are performed in three ways,
by prayer from the patient, by drinking the water of
the spring or by application of some of it to
the part affected, and by eating or outwardly applying a
small quantity of the salt which oozes from the wall
against which the high altar stands. Footnote I insert the
(22:57):
following passage from number thirty second of Doctor Thompson's Annals
of Philosophy, page one thirty eight. It is given for
the purpose of acquainting the supporters of our lady of
the o that the salt ouses from walls in an
heretical as well as in a Catholic country. The formation
of niter upon calcareous stones in certain situations has been
(23:20):
long known. An advantage has been taken of it to
procure that important salt in great quantities, though no satisfactory
theory of the formation of the salt itself has yet
been offered to the public. The present paper contains a
set of observations on the appearance of an efflorescence of
saltpeter on the walls of the Ashmo Laboratory at Oxford,
(23:42):
a large ground room some below the area of the street.
The walls are built of Oxford limestone, a granular floats
limestone containing many fragments of shells of vegetable bodies, and
composed of ninety six carbonate of lime and four of
okree sand. The salt form was nearly pure, though it
contained traces of lime and of sulfuric and muriatic acids.
(24:07):
What was formed in winter contained most lime. The formation
of the salt was most rapid and frosty weather. It
forms slowly, and the quantity even diminished in moist weather
after it had been deposited. Exclusion from the air did
not preclude the deposition of the salt, though it diminished
it considerably. Page seventy. The paper which the above is
(24:30):
an analysis, is by John Kidd, m d. Professor of
chemistry in Oxford, and footnote A village has risen around
the church, composed of huts for the sick who have
journeyed far from other districts. The business has completely succeeded.
The money which was required for rebuilding the church has
(24:50):
been obtained. And when I came away, the concern was
going on prosperously. I heard the remark made by some
firm believers that such was the sinfulness of the anaer
evidence of the vicinity, that the lady had scarcely vouchsafed
to perform any cures upon them. The wonderful stories of
cures were always of persons who lived in remote districts.
(25:11):
But I did meet with a few cases in which
fancied illness from lowness of spirits was removed. The general
credulity of the lower orders of people, and even of
many individuals of the higher ranks, is beyond all belief.
No persuasion, no reasoning is of any service. Even a
doubt of the truth of every story which told is
(25:32):
not admitted. Footnote. Some time ago, a wooden figure was
brought up out of the sea in a fisherman's net,
who was deposited in a place of safety, and was
on inspection by some person who was judged competent to
decide upon the subject, declared to be an image of
Saint Luke. It was removed to a church and has
(25:54):
taken its place as a representative of that saint. Now
I have it whispered that this said Saint Luke is
no more than the figurehead of some unfortunate vessel which
had been cast away, or that the figure had been
broken off by a violent wave. And footnote. From hence
we proceeded to pay another visit. The owner of this
(26:14):
cottage had no cocos to offer, but he would have
dressed some fish, and he gave us some wild fruits.
The sale of a jangata was extended for us, and
we laid down for some time to converse. At a
late hour we set off homewards and from carelessness lost
our way. We wandered through the paths of the woods
of Matunguappe until we judged rightly, as it happened that
(26:37):
we were in the road which would lead us to Jaguaribe.
There was much merriment notwithstanding the disaster, for we knew
that daylight would end our difficulties. And it was now
past two o'clock. The mill was continually at work. I
usually took the first watch and superintendent the business until midnight.
Several of my neighbors and their families came to amuse
(26:59):
themselves conversation, and others came for the purpose of eating
sugar cane, of which every one who has tasted must
be fond about this time died in child bed a
female slave who was generally regretted. She was a good
servant and an excellent wife and mother. The grief of
her husband bore much the appearance of insanity. He would
(27:20):
not eat until the following day, and then he only
tasted food from the persuasion of one of his children.
Until the time of my departure from Pernambuco, he had
not recovered his former spirits, and he never spoke of
his wife without tears in his eyes. Even some of
the other slaves were for a few days after her
death unsettled. The rude instruments upon which they were in
(27:44):
the habit of playing in the evening at their doors
were laid aside. All merriment was discontinued for some time.
I was requested about this period to be bridesmen at
the marriage of a Malapto couple. I agreed, and on
the day appointed set fourth for Padaccibi, accompanied by a
free servant and a slave on horseback. I arrived about
(28:06):
ten o'clock and found a large party of people of
color assembled. The priest soon arrived, and he too was
of the same caste. Breakfast of meat and piram a
paste made of farina was placed upon the table. Some
part of the company sat down and ate, others stood
doing the same, and others, again, as if they were
afraid of losing a minute's conversation, continued to talk loudly
(28:30):
and without ceasing. I've witnessed few such scenes of confusion.
At last we proceeded to the church, to which I
was begged to be permitted to ride, for the distance
was considerable and I was somewhat lame from an accident.
As soon as the ceremony was over, we returned to
the house. The bride was of a dark brown color
(28:52):
or Her father was a Negro and her mother of
mixed blood. She was dressed in a rose colored silk
gown and a black veil was thrown over a head
and shoulders. She wore white shoes and white stockings with
open clocks. The bridegroom was also of dark color. He
wore a coat of brown cloth, a waistcoat of brocade
at silk, and nankeen pantaloons. He had on shoes with
(29:15):
large buckles and a cocked hat. Both of these persons
were young, and they seemed to be dreadfully hampered by
the increased stock of a pail which they carried. The
scene at dinner was a counterpart of the breakfast affair,
with the addition of more noise and more confusion, which
was caused by a larger assemblage of people and more
plentiful drafts of wine and rum. I escaped as soon
(29:38):
as possible, but would not, on any account have missed
being present at this day's work. On the night of
Christmas Eve, I did not go to bed, for we
were to hear the mysa do gayo or cock pass,
as is customary. The priest arrived and the night was
spent merrily. This person did not at that time come
(29:59):
regularly as a che chaplin, but he was so engaged afterwards.
End of Section seventeen
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